Let's Go to Summer School
No longer waiting for things to get back to normal, it could be even a year or more of this, so I’m just getting on with it after all. And I have a question: do I go to Narnia asap, or do I stay on the ground to watch for approaching storm clouds on the horizon?
This next week I plan to focus and synthesize. I had to get a lot out of my mind from last week, thoughts about the changes we are all living through - the history of these times as seen from the point of view of the future, the idea that we are somehow on the cusp of something that we can’t quite see, but certainly feel the portent of. I wonder how to be positive about it all, as we look at the horizon and figure out how much time we have left before sunset.
And once that is done, where do we look to measure time’s currents?
Many Moons, James K-M, 24" x 24", stain and acrylic on plywood, 2008
All the peoples of the earth have measured time by moon, sun and stars, by weather and seasons. Our clocks and calendars measure our cultural histories, lock our experience into familiar patterns that reinforce social norms. These patterns are being shaken now, and we need a little more to go on.
I know there’s something to learn if we can go back to the sun and the moon, but inside me the way isn’t totally clear. Something about my education that made it possible to be writing to you in these hieroglyphs also made the pathway to the sun and moon less visible. The parts in the cells that senses that sort of thing have been dulled or stunted by electric substitutes. Maybe it’s not about going back, but going forward with experience. Isn’t there intuitive help for this sort of thing?
Of course there is! And summer is the perfect time to calm the whole system right into a state of pleasant acceptance. See the sun shine on the flowers, and on the clover overgrowing the park lawns. Welcome the rain, but watch the horizon. Be aware as the messages flash through lightning, as the shadows of the leaves move ever-so-slightly on the path, and as the garden shifts focus and colour. It is possible to learn to read all this, too. It may be much like the realm of hearing, of music that exists as a world in itself.
Summer Courses for Self-Improvement
Reading and Decoding: Find a good reading stick. Once your reading stick has come to you - on the beach (as this one above) or in a forest walk - examine it carefully and learn to read its elven code-writing. Devise your own codex and wait until all the green turns gold in your inner vision.
Cloud Observation: Find an open place to lay down outdoors. Look up at the sky. Remember, even though the shade of a tree will ensure there is not too much sun in your eyes, be careful not to have too many branches and leaves blocking your sky-view. Once you are settled, lie comfortably and easily with eyes open. Observe any moving clouds, see any shapes and figures that may pass by.
Finding Good Stones: At any beach or riverbank you can usually find many small stones. These are especially interesting when they are wet, because the water brings out their colours and markings. When you are looking, certain stones will meet your eye. Pick those up, even if they seem plain. Hold and feel each one to assess their flatness, shape, weight and smoothness. Let one come home with you in your pocket.
Listen to the Quiet: Go somewhere in nature. Sit still and listen to the quiet. It is filled with sounds. Follow the sounds. Become even more still. Listen.
That’s my summer school. What’s yours?
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