More Pathways of My Heart- the Journey Continues



The Moon of Love Sufi Pathway 2.

     The journey of exploring the 99 Pathways of the Heart from the Sufi Book of Life, through the expression of art, continues. I will be sharing four more art journal pages in this post.




     As I make my way through the book I find that I have the distinct feeling that I am not alone as I explore my spirituality through art. Sometimes I feel a real pull to start right in on a page and then at other times it seems that it takes days, sometimes even a week to fully prepare and all along the way I feel this presence leading me, sometimes pushing me forward. All of a sudden I know when it is time to sit down and create. Pieces seem to naturally come together.

     The Moon of Love, Pathway 2, asks you to look at how you receive love and compassion in your life. It is about creating a space within your self large enough to receive as much as you give. When I think about giving and receiving I realize that I am much more comfortable with giving than I am with the receiving and the levels of both need to be balanced in our lives, a continuous flowing stream of give and take. I especially loved the accompanying poem by Sufi Hafiz, which gave me the inspiration for the collage;

"The Sun is the wine, the moon is the cup. Pour the sun into the moon if you want to be filled..."

               The liquid movement you pour into your life fills you with ecstasy, joy, and compassion. How do you look at what you receive...are you thirsty for more or are you parched from lack? Is your heart overflowing, bottomless. It reminds us to reflect this love to help transform our world.

The I Can Power of the Cosmos, Pathway 3.

I felt like I was "diving into the depths" with this one, Pathway 3-The 'I Can Power of the Universe.' Hence my little diver preparing to jump in to the blue-green clear waters. This pathway invites you to just go for it, get your hands dirty. Be who you are, express yourself, create your life whole heartedly. Stop "playing it safe". Bloom. Be vibrant, alive, be awash in color, stand tall. Look at life with a different perspective, a unique eye.

I found this image of a model in a beautiful gown and cape with a light that made her look ethereal, ghost-like. I fell in love with the image. She is confident, radiating light. This pathway asks us to realize our own power and then take responsibility for it. We must go the distance, dive in and immerse ourselves in life if we are ever to realize our own full potential. I had fun working with watercolors on this one. The painting in the background I continued on the page with paint, letting it flow and grow, something that I am doing in my own life. Envision it. Yes, you can!

Sacred Space, Pathway 4.


     Sacred Space, Pathway 4, found me experiencing a flow of peace and serenity which I believe I caught in the feel of this page. It encourages us to step out of the flow of busyness in our lives. It asks us to look at what we take the time to create space for in our lives...do you make space for what brings you joy?

     I broke out the watercolors again and painted a peaceful and calm lake of blues and lavenders. At the bottom of the page is a rivers bank with stones to step out on to. In the center of the page is a round, focused landscape of a mountain with its reflection clear in the waters below, which to me symbolizes our connection to the Divine. This reminds me that I must have a clear vision of what I want to create in my life. I have always been searching for peace and truth. I must feel peace in my 'heart glass' and reflect that clearly outwards if peace is what I want to create in my life.

     What do I make room for in my life? I have many interests as I am curious and want to explore this life fully. So all of the things that I make a conscious effort to include are creativity, friends, family, my writing, collage, meditation, and my dear animals amongst other things. I will always have a flow of interests. There are also things that I know I need to bring more intention to, like more love and being fully mindful.  All of these things are blessings as they are sacred and need to be treated as such.
    
     "When dust clouds your heart glass how can the mirror clear? Remove the dust and rays reveal your real face."







Peace at the Beginning, Pathway 5.  

     Peace at the Beginning-Pathway 5. I wish this picture showed the depth of this page, the texture. It is the night sky and under the pastel colors of black, purple, green and blue there are embossed stars, stars upon stars. This was a meditation upon peace, what it looks like, feels like, how it is both changing and unchanging. This pathway reminds us that our ancestors looked up into the same night sky and believed the universe was very much like the "caravan of life". To look on the passing of time as a constant movement with the past before us up ahead and the future behind us. It gives one a different perspective into how we look at life and how we move. Does not our past lead us into our future and not always for the best? So it behooves us to look closely at what we are allowing to dictate our movements. If it is fear based we need to take a second look and clarify that what we are creating for our future is full of potential.




    This pathway reminds me too that at one time there was nothing but space so why do I waste time worrying about problems and petty difficulties? Life is a precious blessing, I am grateful. I am thankful for all of the people who have helped me throughout my life. Peace be with all of you...