Days 138-139 The Goodness of the Sky

"Our life is an apprenticeship to the truth that around every circle another can be drawn; that there is no end in nature, but every end is a beginning; that there is always another dawn risen on mid-noon, and under every deep a lower deep opens." -Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 – 1882)

I am drawn to the circle as a sacred symbol because of a universal quality of all-encompassing Love.

We try hard to name and make solid the fluidity of life. Try as we may, we recognize that many of life’s events are beyond our control. The old adage, "it is not what happens to you in life but rather how you respond" encourages us to step out of our conditioned thinking and into a new realm.

When we are in nature we feel an instant connection with our Source; the Breath of life. Spring lures us into Light to remind us we are part of something grand. We trust in the goodness that surrounds us and is at the very core of our being. Thoughts can weigh us down with worry. Suffering stems from a faulty perception that we are separate from each other and Love.

John Muir (1838 – 1914) understood a deeper truth, “To lovers of the wild, these mountains are not a hundred miles away. Their spiritual power and the goodness of the sky make them near, as a circle of friends. … You cannot feel yourself out of doors; plain, sky, and mountains ray beauty which you feel. You bathe in these spirit-beams, turning round and round, as if warming at a camp-fire. Presently you lose consciousness of your own separate existence: you blend with the landscape, and become part and parcel of nature.”

Whether gazing at the sky or the universe in your eyes, I see Beauty in your goodness.

Contributed by Liz Sorensen Wessel

Published by

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Categories: Reflections, Holidays, Spirituality

Tags: Erie Chapman Foundation, John Muir, Journal of Sacred Work, Liz sorensen Wessel, Ralph Waldo Emerson

11 responses to “Days 138-139 The Goodness of the Sky”

julie laverdiere

May 16, 2015 at 9:44 am

How gorgeous this work is! It gives such a rainbow of colors, and shows the fluidity of life. Thank you!

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JVD

May 16, 2015 at 11:52 am

I awoke this morning to see your magnificent mandala bringing forth the glow of the sun – a stained glass window shining through to the soul. Like the Cosmos, I could stare at it for hours.
John Muir’s words you quote are perfectly illustrated by your mandala, while your mandala reminds me also of Phi – “The Golden Ratio.”
A new circle drawn can personify a rebirth.
One circle behind another, touching one another.
When we go to our place of prayer, we become part of another circle in which we share and enrich our selves. We give up a little bit of our self to become one with a greater Self.
Like the number Pi, there is always more and less. Because of the darkness there is light. The circle has no beginning, therefore we can have no end.
For all the good you do, truly you are Beautiful.
Peace be unto all.

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erie chapman

May 16, 2015 at 12:14 pm

I agree with JVD. Your mandala is an endless delight and an eternal mystery. John Muir is so elegant in converting “ray” into a verb for us, “…plain, sky, and mountains ray beauty.”
I see Beauty in YOUR goodness, Liz.

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Maria Doglio

May 16, 2015 at 2:20 pm

Liz, I love your mandala – so rich in color and movement. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote shows how in sync he was with a broader perspective of life, a circle that continually spirals out as our spirit expands with it. I am, however, understanding more and more, that the universe responds more to how we feel than how we think. Contrasting experiences are in response to how we are thinking, idividually and collectively – and hopefully it guides us to move toward a better (and expanded) way of life. I love your description of how nature brings you back in alignment with the Source energy – it does for me too. I am craving the ocean – for me a great cleanser and re-aligner! Thank you Liz for this wonderfully reflective post and truly, your art from the Source that is within you!

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~liz Wessel

May 17, 2015 at 10:15 am

Thanks for your presence and Light here, Julie

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~liz Wessel

May 17, 2015 at 10:26 am

Thank you, JVD, I appreciate the perspective you offer on hopefulness of rebirth and how opposites are necessary for wholeness. Thanks too for your gift from your Light filled soul.

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~liz Wessel

May 17, 2015 at 10:38 am

Yes…Erie and mountains as a circle of friends… I must admit that I’ve been experiencing a rough patch and felt at a loss for what I might contribute this week. Yet, I found encouragement in Muir’s and Emerson’s words and within myself upon this reflection. Thanks for your raying of Beauty.

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Woody Wessel

May 17, 2015 at 10:45 am

Life and nature are like the seasons a circle. I Love what you did in your mandala, the colors.

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~liz Wessel

May 17, 2015 at 10:50 am

and thanks for these helpful insights shared, Maria and loving affirmations! Ah yes, I too need to to the sea and listen for a while…

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~liz Wessel

May 17, 2015 at 10:57 am

Thanks, Woody, as you know I’ve been experimenting digitally with mandalas I have drawn and I find it interesting to accompany the metamorphosis that occurs. I am learning that art is not about control but more about discovery and much practice before you come upon something.

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Maureen McDermott

May 18, 2015 at 5:30 am

Magnificent, encircling mandala and encouraging words. Thank you Liz.

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