Blaze of Glory

Hi everyone!  Hope we all had a fabulous Turkey day today and ate plenty of goodies!  It’s been an eventful and rather busy few days for me, but it should all start to slow down soon.  I popped on to blog my most recent look of the day.  It’s gonna be a simple, sweet, and short one, so bear with me. Yay!

So, the other day, while scavenging the grid for even more things to add to my hoard, I discovered a fun new store! New to me anyway… I love those.  [MANDALA] makes some exquisite accessories.  This bracelet shown in the closeup here was one of my finds there, as well as the belt, AND the necklace… I loaded up… they were definitely splurge worthy designs.  I also popped over to Mustache, where I was pleasantly pleased with these fantastic blues glasses.  I tried them several ways, and I have to say, I’m a sucker for the crooked sitting glasses, but for this look, I decided to keep it simple and straight forward.  These boots, nothing new, but… definitely still one of the best additions I’ve had to my shoes folder (which is in dire need of organization).  The black boot comes with so many different options in itself… folded or straight sleeves, denim folds, color change sole/zipper, built-in animations which are optional, and even optional sounds (if you are into those :\).  I found that the gray denim option perfectly matched the [N] jeans I picked up last week.  Pair it with this perfectly created and easy to please pinstripe blazer from Armidi and a simple grey tank, like this one from Cyanide and once again, all set.

What I’m Wearing:

Hair: fri. – Kate – Cynical Black

Skin: :Curio: :GP: Acorn Defeat [Light] Battle Royale-Pure 2

Glasses: Mustache – Shades {The Blues} Chin

Jacket: Armidi – (f) Classic Pinstripe Blazer [Black] (available online shoparmidi.com)

Shirt: Cyanide – Clothing – Tank (Grey)

Tattoo: Made by me, send an IM if you want one shipped your way.

Necklace: [MANDALA] Soul Jewelry set (Silver)

Bracelets: [MANDALA] LOTUS Chain Bracelet&Hand ring/black; [Armidi Gisaci] Glitz Bangle Combo – Assorted 10

Jeans: [N] artist jeans – grey

Belt: [MANDALA] Saicho Belt/Black

Boots: BAX Prestige Boots Black Leather

So the other day I logged in and found that a dear friend of mine had dropped a few gifts on me. I had never heard of the store before so I was anxious to try on my new gifties. I was so thrilled!! The Mini Dress is so well made, and super sexy without actually having my bits and pieces hanging out. There is just enough booty coverage to make it ultra tantalizing. I TP’d to the store to check out thier other selections and they are great! I like to call this style casual sexy, cause the pieces keep you sexy, but you dont look like your trying too hard. So TP on over to KHUSH today and take a stroll and pick up some things for yourself!

**What Im Wearing**

Eyes-::Exodi:: LIM eyes- Green (L/NV)

Skin -Belleza- Jesse Sunkiss 4 (cleavage)

Lashes- *REDGRAVE*-20- Diamond Dust

Shoes- Maitreya Gold-Shanti- Silver

Dress- KHUSH- Sexy Kitty-Black

Bracelets-[MANDALA] 7Luck Beacelet (A and B)

Hair <Truth> Hannah- Treacle

Breaking Bad : Season 2 : Episode 11: “Mandala”

Walt waits for the deal to end all deals.

Walt and Jesse decide to get out of the distribution business and focus on production, which is significantly safer. Events have conspired to (mostly) keep Walt out of the lab and classroom, so this episode contains nothing of note. Check back soon!

You can read more about this episode at AMC, IMDb and the A.V. Club.

Elements in the credits

I’m not sure why Michael Slovis wasn’t assigned iodine (I), carbon (C), hydrogen (H), sulfur (S), oxygen (O) or vanadium (V).

Read more here:

http://felidaepunkneko.wordpress.com

Greetings Sugar

Skin:  *FS*  Fiona Gold Glow (Natural)

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Inizio/189/180/26

Shape:  *Carpe diem*  Emma

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zephyra/74/213/23

Hair:  *BooN*  EKE 119

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Zapico/25/170/35

Jacket:  *Madsy*  Fur Gilet silver

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bill/221/69/43

Shirt:  *Dutch Touch*  Woolen Cardigan with Hoodie

Skirt:  *Dutch Touch*  Denim Skirt brown

http://slurl.com/secondlife/DUTCH%20TOUCH/189/85/41

Socks:  *Doppelgänger*  Button me up desert socks

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Bill/216/190/44

Boots:  *KAO*  Suede fringe boots

http://slurl.com/secondlife/itutu/129/121/1001

Accessoires:  *YS&YS*  Ivory Necklace+Earrings

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Feel%20Beautiful/101/63/25

Belt:  *Mandala*  Kookai Belt

http://slurl.com/secondlife/TEMPURA%20SOBA/53/123/777

http://felidaepunkneko.wordpress.com

Greetings Sugar

Ode to Joy

As the invisible begins to emerge upon the canvas, what appears here now seems to be a more visible connection to the Self.

The painting series titled,  Ode to O   (Lara, 2009) will show and express a defined connection to the Self. This process of painting is unconscious, meaning that the painter lets go of all outside influences and moves unconditionally by pure calling towards the mysterious direction of the Self.  Painting becomes like a short meditation. By spontaneously slipping away and re-centering into the inner flow, the movement of the paintbrush provides visible evidence that a space is created that reflects the invisible Self.

As this series of paintings progress, Ode to O (Lara, 2009)  moves forward it is  full of waves, swooping surges, swerving motions, integration, disintegrating, and a constant propelling force.  The images that emerge are striking, intriguing, and integrate all the pieces even the ones that are most hidden to the painter.

“The psychological rule says when an inner situation is not made conscious, it happened outside as fact.  That is to say, when the individual remains undivided and does not become conscious of his inner opposite, the world must perforce act out the conflict and be torn into opposing halves” (Jung, Aion, pg. 71).

The repetitive, circular motions remind me of the uroboros. In the Ode to O series there are hints of an unfolding and reflection of  the mystery and  meaning behind the symbolic uroboros.  Jung found that the uroboros was a repeating symbol and can be seen in many personal Mandalas.  Jung saw the uroboros as an archetype of the psyche, part of the collective unconscious, and related the uroboros to the formation of unity in the Self.  The uroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent-like-creature, swallowing its own tail and moving to shape of a circle. It is the union of the opposites, the power of this symbol,  which transcends the boundaries of the soul, and bring together the integration of the Shadow and the Anima/Animus.  Symbolically, the uroboros is an image which represents cyclical energy, life/ death/rebirth/ recreation. It conjures up energy that simply represents the nature of the soul. This is image is one of primordial orgin, from the very beginning of time.

The Ode to O  painting series is an unconscious attempt to move the chaos into order. The energy reflected in these paintings are much like Jung’s mandalas, where the painter seems to be soothed, moved into deeper feeling states, connected to the intuitve functions of the psyche.  Jung said, most mandalas have an intuitve, irrational character and through their symbolic content they exert a retroactive  influence on the unconscious (Archetypes of the Unconscious, pg. 361).  Jung wrote about the power of these images which emerge through the mandala are like icons and they sometimes are so powerful to the creator that is for “the first time the reality of the collective unconscious as an autonomous entity” (Jung, pg. 361).

When the painter is unconsciously painting, like in the “O” series what emerges is a magical quality found in these images and they seem to reflect back some deeper and invisible part of the Self which never was  previously  conscious to the painter (Jung, pg. 361).  Jung regarded the formal elements that created the mandala. Here are some of the elements that describe the qualities of the mandala  selected from Jung’s work,  The Archetypes of the Unconscious:

1) Circular, spherical or egg shaped 2) the circle is elaborated in a flower (like a rose, lotus) or a wheel 3) a center expressed by a sun, star or cross and usually with four or twelve rays 4) the circle, sphere, and cruciform figures are  often represented  in rotation 5) the circle is represented by a snake coiled around a center, and there is a  ringed- shaped, uroboros, spiraling, or shapes like an Orphic egg 6) a castle, city and courtyard like (tenemos) motifs, quadratic, or circular, 7) an eye (Archetypes of the Unconscious, pg. 361).

Ode to Self

di Rossella Cau – studiosa di scienze esoteriche

Non si può ricevere in dono una rosa, senza leggere nel suo colore l’intenzione di chi la offre. Non si può vederla   senza pensare alla perfezione ed alla magnificenza della Natura, e magari alla vita e alla morte. Anche inconsciamente, nelle nostre menti si accumulano simbolismi e significati: per esempio, rosa bianca amore puro spirituale, rosa rossa amore passionale.

Nell’esoterismo occidentale questo splendido fiore rappresenta, in primo luogo, l’archetipo della Madre Cosmica, significato che in Oriente è indicato dal loto. Infatti, studiando la sua struttura e la conseguente raffigurazione grafica, vediamo che la corolla della rosa da un centro si allarga, espandendosi verso l’esterno in una gloria di numerosi petali. Ci vuole poca fantasia, per ravvisarvi l’emblema della Creazione stessa: della Madre (Mater-ia) fecondata dal Padre (profumo = essenza) che fiorisce e si espande in innumerevoli forme, frutto ed espressione della perfezione di quest’Unione, il Figlio, Figlio, Figlio, amoroso Giglio piange la Vergine Addolorata in Iacopone da Todi.  Sempre ritorna il simbolo del fiore, questa volta il Giglio, in relazione con il Figlio. Ma nel Figlio i significati di Morte e Resurrezione, di Creazione e Rigenerazione sono indissolubili, poiché sono i cicli stessi dell’Evoluzione, in cui inevitabilmente uno segue l’altro all’infinito.  E allora il “Calice” della Rosa diventa, in relazione al piano umano, la “Coppa”, il Sacro Graal , che raccoglie il Sangue del Signore, versato per salvare l’uomo e per riportarlo al suo ruolo di figlio di Dio. Ma, sul livello cosmico, la Coppa richiama alla mente sempre la Madre che accoglie lo Spirito Divino e che genera. Sotto quest’accezione, l’iconografia ecclesiastica ha fatto della rosa, regina dei fiori, il simbolo della Regina Celeste, Maria, della sua verginità e del suo essere tramite privilegiato di salvazione. Nella raffigurazione grafica della rosa esiste però anche un altro elemento estremamente importante: è il cerchio che racchiude la moltitudine dei petali e che ne conferma l’appartenenza all’Uno. Il fiore arriva così a rappresentare la Trinità stessa, l’Uno e il Trino. La rosa come simbolo di iniziazione e rigenerazione spirituale è stata usata da moltissime correnti spirituali. In alchimia una rosa bianca ed una rossa indicano il sistema della dualità, mentre la rosa a cinque petali messa al centro di una croce, che rappresenta i quattro elementi, è il simbolo della Quintessenza ( quinta essenza), ovvero lo Spirito. Un  simbolo rosacrociano raffigura cinque rose (il cinque è il numero dell’uomo) una al centro della croce, il Sacro Cuore di Gesù Cristo, ed una su ogni braccio. Le rose della manifestazione salgono sulla croce, le prove della vita, nella loro ricerca spirituale. Anche la Massoneria utilizza simbolicamente la rosa durante lo svolgimento di diversi riti, come, ad esempio, in occasione dei funerali di un “fratello” vengono gettate nella sua tomba tre rose, dette le “rose di S. Giovanni”, che significano Luce Amore Vita. La rosa viene raffigurata con un numero variabile di petali, secondo cui cambia il significato del simbolo. Nel Rosone, elemento architettonico in pietra traforata o in vetro colorato delle Chiese cristiane medioevali, sono presenti tutti i significati di cui abbiamo già parlato. Innegabile la somiglianza con i Mandala della tradizione simbolica tibetana, che può far pensare che queste grafiche archetipiche facciano parte dell’inconscio collettivo dell’Umanità. A questo proposito Jung aveva osservato nei suoi studi su patologie psichiche come i pazienti in via di guarigione tendono a disegnare istintivamente figure  assimilabili ai mandala, come a simboleggiare l’integrazione armonica nell’unità della personalità di parti prima dissociate. Nella sua rappresentazione di ricerca interiore, di viaggio iniziatico, il rosone è posizionato nelle Cattedrali medioevali sulla facciata sopra l’ingresso, come punto di raccordo fra il sacro e il profano, ad indicare il punto di partenza della coscienza umana che, entrando nella casa di Dio, volge le spalle al mondo materiale guardando al punto di arrivo, l’altare, dove avverrà il ricongiungimento col Divino, del Figlio col Padre.

Amici di Goodmorningumbria

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HOTEL RISTORANTE LA ROSETTA****

Centro Storico di Perugia  p. Italia tel. 075 5720841

larosetta@perugiaonline.com

OTTO Abbigliamento Donna

di Maurizio Giorgelli

via Bonazzi 8 Perugia tel. 075 5729084

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PARAFARMACIA EMALFARMA

di Emanuela Coreno e C.

via Settevalli 208/b tel. 075 5004777

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Enjoying our last days of the Autumn season, I thought this would be such a lovely cocktail dress to celebrate and end this season. I definetly would wear this design for those cosy, romantic evenings at home with your partner, enjoying dinner by candlelight.. Watching the weather outside while cuddling. Rain, hard wind and the trees are losing it’s leafs..

“Bittersweet” by Noveen Benoir, Designer of “Totally Random” is a must-have for this season!

The bodice of this dress has such an amazing texture! It looks so realistic and very well detailed. The gloss on it makes it even more beautiful and luxury. On the first view you don’t see the details very well, so let me show you a close-up and you will see what I mean

Now, I havn’t said to much, have I? Definetly an eye catcher!
Alsooo.. Did you noticed the skirt is two-coloured? Yes yes.. Cool huh?!
It’s one attachment, but you can modify the skirt to all your needs and likings. You can edit each prim seperatly, so yoú can be sure it fits on your body. Make sure you visit Totally Random and grab this lovely dress, designed by Noveen Benoir.

As you already may have noticed, I attached some GORGEOUS jewelry and a cute hair flower. The flower comes from Artilleri and it’s called “Rose hairflower red”.
I discovered the jewelry recently at Mandala, It immidiatly gave me that “WOW” feeling! I bought a set of earrings and a necklace, called “Lotus Bronze” and a set of bracelets, called: Lotus Chain Bracelet Fall Gold. Gorgeous, dont you think?
I am a perfectionist when it comes to jewelry (Well, not only jewelry, LOL) and this amazing design of Kikunosuke Eel Is definetly one of the best pieces I have. You can choose from 5 colours (Bronze, White, Black, Deep Red and Fall Gold) and they cost 437L$ for a set of necklace and earrings (resize jewelry and with or without bright). For the set of bracelets and hand rings on each arm/hand, you pay 377L$. You really should check them out at Mandala, you will love them and it’s definetly worth the money!

Model and photographer Melanie Sautereau

I’ve had some medical stuff going on this past week that has taken my attention from writing. I’m nearly back to center — with some minor surgery ahead in the next few weeks.

In the meantime, life is returning to its normal shapes and textures. Here’s a beautiful mandala for all of us who are facing challenges this week (including just being alive). 

Have a happy day.

In this video, I was play testing a new medium, glass//paint makers, to use when performing PoS in cafes, bars, on the train, bus, etc.   I used a Flip camera, loaned out to me from school. Since I don’t have a full sized tripod, most of the video is shot drawing with my right hand, and filmed with my left. Clearly, I need some assistance documenting! …I was really anxious to try this.

Watch it now! Musical credit to Thievery Corporation, “Mandala”

While the work is somewhat compromised due to my concentration being split between drawing and documenting, I think this is a really exciting way to mobilize people drawing.   It’s fast, erasable, and doable on most surfaces found in public spaces.  You don’t need to carry anything else with you except THIS, which allows you to draw on glass, chalkboards, and lightboards.  These are just a smattering of the many slick surfaces which we interact with daily.  I also bought this one, but found its wide diameter to be a nuisance.  Coupled with the fact you have to squeeze while you draw to get a fair amount of paint to come out, I stopped using it altogether.

The idea for painting on glass first began this summer, when I created a prototype installation for PoS.

I created this using doors from a plethora of old jewelry boxes I found in thrift stores this summer while in Florida.  The point of this prototype was to continue my work with doors under a different context.  This time, the doors would be functional, and people could walk through them in a cyclical motion.  This action is meant to demonstrate that meeting new people and learning to accept their ways is a perpetual cycle occurring in our lives.

Most of the doors were made of wooden frames which surrounded glass.  I decided to work with the glass instead of combat it, so I left spaces open for people inside the installation to get a peek of who they were about to meet once they took the risk and opened the door.

You can view more here.

It ain’t no secret that I have quite the fancy for the Rx Bandits.  I’ll spare you my praise for them since I use every opportunity I can here to let you know that they just happen to be the greatest band in the world.  But seeing as I never gave a proper review for their latest album, Mandala (A+, 10/10, smiley face), I figured I would share this little video of them performing “Mientras La Veo Soñar” at one of their recent California shows.  This clip is pretty exemplary of the performance I saw when I caught them earlier this summer during their stop in Baltimore, although I wasn’t fortunate enough to see frontman Matt Embree jam out with Chris Tsagakis on the drums as he does here.  Enjoy, and don’t forget to grab the track below.

MP3: Rx Bandits – “Mientras La Veo Soñar”

Love,
Adrian

Faces gather at a candle. It’s a stone carving mounted in the old entrance to the Museum of Legion of Honor. I pause here for ablutions with my Grandmother before going in. This carving is ancient or new. It is called Hope. The entrance was redesigned. I never found Hope again except in Absolute Twisted Zero.

I don’t mind doing Things alone that are not things. I am Alive. I am unable to do Some Things.

It’s natural to be afraid of what we do not Know. I am not afraid of what I do not Know. I am afraid of what I cannot do. In my town, we don’t burn witches. We have more subtle means. Turning you into a Lost Work of Art may be too good for gimps who should be witches.

We forget what weasels do. Around the holidays some homes get Itchy and Edgy. Some get Weasels. Not Everybody Else gets Lost Works of Art for the holidays.

Around the holidays my friends Itchy & Edgy usually hang out. They run a three ring circus back home. Here they are just kids in a candy store. Lost Works of Art are not entirely lost. What is Missing is once Known.

When parts of my identity are Missing there are misunderstandings. This is unfortunate among us. Everybody Else thinks their intentions are good. How can you Know for sure if parts are Missing. Leaps of Faith involve Trusting yourself, too. My unconscious is clean. It’s just parts of my Identity are Missing.

The Divine use of the pit is Work on What Has Been Spoiled. Attitude is Everything Else. Duty is Approached with Devotion and abundance is Every Where. The Great Mandala is written hieroglyphics because I do no use Deep Reading Techniques here. I read my Heart. A Leap of Faith is becoming a Lost Work of Art.

From the rotting fruit under the tree comes new trees. In the pit or in my Heart there is no despair at Work on What Has Been Spoiled. It is good Work. The path of my Routine has entered the Great Mandala.

Kalendern för 2010 är färdig nu. 100 kr/st. kostar den i år. Beställ på: info@mandala-art.se. Formatet är A4, med ett mandala för varje månad. Beskrivning av varje mandala på svenska, engelska och tyska.

Sasy and I were out shopping at the Plant & Garden Festival (runs through December 27th btw), when the time got away from us, we each teleported home to quickly dress and headed over for the taping of Fabulous Fashion last night. Having only moments to spare, and being known for taking forever to find the perfect pair of shoes with an outfit, I tricked Sasy this time and chose my shoes first, and based my outfit from there.

DeLa - Zaara - Mandala

I chose my Pixel Mode Rhea boots, in Sky first.  I love this color, and have been waiting for just the right pieces to wear with them.  They come with a HUD to change the leather cord colors on the side.  Which was perfect with my cosy long cardigan sweater/dress from DeLa called Lily in sky blue.  I blogged this recently in black here.  I love the look of the textures of the cardigan which features sculpted sleeves, belt, and a lower portion.  The lower sculpted prim features sculpted pockets, and the prim comes in three sizes and is modifiable, so it gets you very close if not dead on size wise on your shape, and any adjustments are easy.  The texture of the cardigan, I thought worked well with the Ishaya slacks from Zaara.  They’re velour, with gold zippered pocket, that come on all layers, and feature sculpted pant parts too.

To accessorize I went with the stunningly beautiful Pearl Rain jewelry set from Mandala.  The designer is kikunosuke Eel, creator of the amazingly gorgeous Tempura Island sim.  Just like his work at Tempura, his jewelry is just as lush, and rich in textures, and fine details.  I swear, there are not enough lindens inworld to support my incessant obsession with buying jewelry.   It’s mind-blowing to consider where virtual jewelry was conceptually when I first rezzed and the skill that is now applied to jewelry today, its astounding.  This particular set is available in a variety of tones, shown here in Silver.  The set includes drop earrings, and necklace available in full bright option as well.  Sold separately are matching bracelets.

I am wearing Armidi’s Symphony Twist updo in Dark Auburn to show off the Pearl Rain earrings.  This is such a great updo, it’s chic, perfect for formal.   I had to wear another current obsession I have, Chaisuki’s lashes!  I blogged them for Vanity Universe’s Skin Fair here.  These are the No. 20, which really pop when you wear them with various eye shadows, the skin shown here is blue, in the Leticia line from Redgrave.

Items & Teleports:

Hair: Armidi –Symphony Twist – Dark Auburn
Skin: Redgrave – Leticia – Tan Skin – Blue
Lashes: Chaisuki – No. 20
Jewelry: Mandala – Pearl Rain – Silver
Top: DeLa – Long Knit Cardi – Lily – Pale Blue
Pants: Zaara – Ishaya Slacks – White
Boots: Pixel Mode – Rea Boots – Sky
Poses: Glitterati

Once again my work can be seen in the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art in the 2009 Snap to Grid Exhibition. Anyone in the area should check it out. 12 Nov -5 Dec 2009. http://www.lacda.com/

Among the high spirits are Merriment, Joy and Laughter,
Sparkling with delightful ideals and imagination
As they offer their big-hearted trust
In the realm of choice and free will
To harmonize the endlessly expanding abundance
With a faith that life tends toward balance,
And offer fresh ideas about enlightenment’s
Potential for Fun, Spontaneity and Frolic
To expand the moment with their presence
And their influence on the perception of the expansion.

The emotional fruit of these high spirits’ imagination
Calls forth the ideas of delight
In the garden of experience and learning,
Where the experience of harmonious presence
Maintained as an infinitely abundant freewill zone
Shows the equitable accommodation of joy
Imagined in any belief system
To be an inspired answer
For the challenge of the elusive solution
Mediating its joyful resolution.

The style of the graceful Felicity,
Captivating the center of attention
With the compassionate accommodation
Seen effortlessly floating in her dance with change
From flourishing accomplishments to accomplishing flourishing,
Transcends duality’s delicate balance
Wherever an exciting change can be found
And the sustaining of an ambitious optimism
Can call up the canny cunning
Connecting personal consciousness with conscienceness.

Settled into the center,
The memory’s aim for the vibration of such fun
Trusts the enjoyment of the optimistic outlook
To maneuver the restructuring of infinity
And arrive at the opportunity for frolic’s accomplishment,
Playing the middle to be free of the carefully considered choice
Where the realization that it’s always a freshly defined reality
Eagerly fuels vivacity of dynamic enjoyment
And the flexibility of imipulsivity
Connecting body and cosmos.

Having a feeling of harmony
To motivate the creative endeavor
Nurtures the intuitional sensibility
Able to move with the flow of change
So that an enduring balance can be understood,
And its point of balance can move into conscienceness
Where cognizance of the fresh insight
Of spontaneous free will
Finds a desire to cooperate working its way toward
The fidelity of the heartfelt way.

The sanguine journey of integrity
Intending an energized desire
Senses the encouragement
For a change that allows creativity
To be the nourishment of continued abundance,
And plays the wisdom of conscience
With childlike enthusiasm for innovative ideals
To provoke the true intent
As the challenge to imagination’s limits
In the marriage of prayer and benediction.

With the beneficial resolution as the way
To produce sympathetic benevolence,
Nurturing the accommodation of generosity
In the play of forces moving in multiple realities
By the placement of opportunity
To facilitate the integrity of the equilibrium
Exercises the idea’s alignment with cosmic will
As the indirect action processing change
With an aspiration for beneficial resolutions.

The emotions that invoke generosity
Focus the love of self
Through the belief in a loving environment
Toward the balance of multiple realities
That reveal the ancient ideals of balance
As confidence in principles of conscience
Cutting through the cloudy thought
To awaken the idea of creativity’s generosity
Cleverly expanding the Everpresent
And the move to expand perception of it.

The activation of fulfillment
To produce the lucid conception
Is most nurturing in the realm of love
Experiencing balance and change,
Where trust and responsibility center the opportunity
For an agreed upon balance
To negotiate the expansion of conceivability
In a new dream of connectiveness
Comprising the compromises
That fulfill the recognition of needs.

And making room for the reach of sharing’s joy
Is the charm of motherly imagination
As it finds its compassionate problem solving
In the dance of change and balance
Fully embracing the rhythm of contentment,
Where a sense of proportion
Clarifying the situation
Looks for the opening for expansion
That allows the flexibility of thought
To reach the trust that enjoys sharing with high spirits.

(9 of Cups, Queen of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, 2 of Pentacles, 10 of Pentacles, Justice, Page of Swords, Ace of Wands, 7 of Swords, the Hierophant – 11/01/09)

Precious: The Grace in Small Acts of Kindness…

“Grace is the absence of everything that indicates pain or difficulty, hesitation or incongruity.” William Hazlitt

God's Grace: Prevails... by Night86mare via Flickr

When someone walks in and shatters your life at 12, 21 or any age, it takes tremendous grace to turn away from taking the road to abject despair, to finding the courage to regroup and rebuild a life. It also takes a simple, small gesture of kindness, the grace of a hug, a smile, a tender glance, a comforting word, to steer one away from misery to the miraculous… The film Precious is a miracle of grace; the grace shared through small acts of kindness.

Precious is the newly released film about the compelling story of a young woman, Claireece “Precious” Jones, who overcomes a life of despicable terror at the hands of her parents and triumphs in the face of incredible obstacles. The movie is a riveting adaptation of the powerful novel, PUSH, by author/poet/activist Sapphire.

As protagonist, the 16 year old, African-American, Harlem raised teen, Precious, personifies both everything we abhor and fear we might become; a victim of incest, child abuse, depraved parents, pregnant with her father’s 2nd child, overweight, illiterate, HIV positive, homophobic, xenophobic, self-hating, and everything we champion her to become; courageous, accomplished and free from oppression.

“God appoints our graces to be nurses to other men’s weaknesses.” Henry Ward Beecher

Sundance Premiere via Zimbio/Google Images: Gabby Sidibe, Mariah Carey, Lee Daniels, Mo'Nique and Paula Patton

Watch CBS News Videos Online Katie Interview with Sapphire

According to the author Sapphire, in a recent interview with Katie Couric on CBS, Precious is a composite of many young women, (and perhaps older women), she met/knew during the years she taught/counseled young women who were survivors of horrific abuse. These women though damaged by abuse and deep in the recovery process, had such strong spirits of defiance and a will to survive that it helped give the author the impetus to create her classic novel ~ PUSH.

While the name Precious might seem ironic for a character that is treated as irrelevant and suffers horrific abuse, her name should be a constant reminder to all of us to treat each other with compassion and care. If we are galvanized to, at least, identify/report abuse and help another find hope and a chance at life, then, we have made a great difference in someone’s life.

Precious speaks for those silent and/or silenced by abuse and God’s grace and people’s grace guide her to push past her hurt and accomplish what she is destined to do and become. We can all be angels of light on this journey called life and every random act of kindness reverberates throughout the earth and touches many others in its stead. The grace in small things endures.

“Grace has been defined as the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul.” William Hazlitt

Refracted Mandala: We Stumble towards Light with varying degrees of Grace

For Precious, the grace and blessings in small things came through acts of selflessness and kindness shown to her by others; the teacher (Ms. Rain) who diligently helps her learn to read; the social worker (Mrs. Weiss) and nurse (Kravitz’s character) who encourage her to both seek help and find her own inner courage and goodness. Each person offered a glimpse of hope, a moment of grace to push Precious forward in her journey to redemption from oppression and dysfunction. It takes one person to step forward and extend a helping hand to another soul…

The generosity others showed Precious in the film reminded me of an incident many years ago, before ATMs, when I found myself stranded in a big city with no means to get back to my original destination. I walked into a bank, quite distraught, and a kind teller gave me just enough to get me home. She graciously accepted the check I gave her, drawn on another bank, but never cashed it. Her kindness has stayed with me.

“Grace is from our side a choice, from the divine side it is a seizing upon, an apprehending, a conquest by the Most High. Our ”accepting” and ”willing” are reactions rather than actions. The right of determination must always remain with God.” A. W. Tozer

Glass Mandala Lotus: The Grace in all Things... via Suki Quin

A spiritual teacher once said that when we pray or ask for grace, we must seek the highest good and ask for God’s grace and people’s grace. After all, it is at each others hands that we learn to love, experience life, see the face and grace of God.

Where has grace touched you? Who has shown you a small act of kindness, a much needed glance? Who have you helped today? Share your thoughts.

PHOTO CREDITS
God’s Grace by Night86mare ~ via Flickr
Precious Sundance Premiere ~ via Zimbio/Google Images
Refracted Mandala by F. Decomite – via Flickr/Google Images
Glass Mandala lotus by Suki Quin ~ via Google Images
Videos ~ via CBS News and YouTube

Until Next Time…
Ask. Believe. Receive. ©
Elizabeth Obih-Frank