Comments on: On Birthing, Artwork and Finding Joy

By: Painter of Blue

Painter of Blue — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 03:25:50 +0000

Lynda, Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Yes fear of the unknown is powerful! I know it seems the world is spinning as you say in darkness. But I always turn to mystics who talk of the dark night of the soul, where we feel forsaken by the Divine, as a time where God is actually so close to us that we are blinded by the Light. This period of darkness is a harbinger of a period of increased awareness and connection to the Light. I believe the world is evolving for the better, but we just can’t see it yet. We are in the darkness, but the Light is all around us. With time this darkness will shift and we will see and feel the Light. Blessings.

By: Lynda Lehmann

Lynda Lehmann — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:25:58 +0000

Sybil, I can empathize with your despair. For life is difficult and disharmony and suffering abound in the world. Even in good times and good health, we are each essentially alone and seeking our accommodation in the universe.

You wrote: “I am emptier than I have ever been. But still I have resistance to entering into that sacred space. Why?”

I believe that the answer is that it’s so frightening to enter the unknown. And even for those of us who have had to confront our deepest fears and loneliness, there is much work to do on the road to acceptance.

I know I’m still in my spiritual infancy. And to see the world spinning in such dimensions of greed, hatred and horror saps the faith and energy out of all of us.

But we have to keep on. And our art will lead us to brighter places. I cling to my art as a lifeline, even more so since I had breast cancer a few years back.

I wish you peace of mind and new joys, Sybil.

By: Painter of Blue

Painter of Blue — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:05:53 +0000

Thanks for you comment Princess. I like the way you put that.

By: Princess Haiku

Princess Haiku — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 06:28:54 +0000

Sybil,
It’s nice to see you back. I have had personal experiences similar to what you are writing about. I discovered that the grace of being stopped in one direction is that you eventually find another that is more compelling; perhaps more spiritually necessary. It took many years of inner torment before I discovered this. Thank you for your honesty and capability of sharing your experience. In this- you speak for many of us.

Best Wishes
Princess Haiku´s last blog ..surprise on a library shelf said, Princess Haiku

By: Painter of Blue

Painter of Blue — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:03:49 +0000

Jan welcome back! It must have been wonderful! Debraann, yes I think we are so used to the suffering it feels better or safer. It the agony and the ecstasy.. Karin, No I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s in my queue. I guess I’ll have to bump it to the top now. I think of you & your health challenges often and hope you are feeling well.

By: John

John — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:53:34 +0000

Eckhart is amazing.

By: Jan

Jan — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:13:25 +0000

Sybil, I just got back from four days in Albuquerque for a Richard Rohr retreat on mystics. I don’t have thoughts or time to comment, as I must go and unpack. I’ll be back!

By: debraann

debraann — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 01:02:28 +0000

Sybil, so good to have you back. Your post could have been written by myself during much of the last year, soul searching and finding myself beneath the clutter. Not as far along in the process as you are but on my way. It is so much easier to find creativity in those dark days of the soul though isn’t it?

By: Karin

Karin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:37:20 +0000

there is so much here that i relate to Sybil. I, too, feel a resistance to stepping fully into the silence, for more than a few moments. WHen I do, the experience is powerful, if not overwhelming. the heart cracks open, the beauty almost painful!
I’ve thought of you this week, while watching the documentary Into Great Silence. Have you seen it? It’s about a monastery built in 1080 something, in the French Alps. Watching was a meditative experience that had tears streaming down my face at times, just from the holy simplicity.
Thanks for sharing these quotes, and the thoughtful process you are engaging with while moving into great silence.