How to see the goodness in
every person
who's sitting around your holiday table.
Bluesman B. B. King once lamented that
"Nobody loves me but my mother. . . and she could be
jivin' , too", voicing the most basic human anxiety. If
your mother doesn't love you, then who will?
Yes,
families can certainly be a blessing, making us feel
appreciated and loved. But . . .
Who
among us
hasn't been there when, as Reginald Hill describes it,
"the close confinement, with large supplies of alcohol,
of blood relations who have had the good sense to keep
far apart for the previous three hundred and sixty four
days" come together at the table?
This blessing, provided
by our friend, the Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway (aka. the
Wedding Goddess) might just provide the right antidote
if you find yourself dreading the family holiday
get-together this year.
A Goddess Prayer for Family Peace and Grace
But what if, in spite of all your good
intentions, your family is still driving you crazy?
Here are a few helpful hints from the goddess Mnemosyne
and her daughters, the Muses:
Spend Some Time
Reminiscing.
Just like touch, memory is one of the
important things that creates "bonding" in
relationships.
It's not so important that you always
had good experiences together as that you somehow manage
to create good memories of your experiences -- even if
the memory itself is just a good story about a bad
experience, it creates a powerful pull.
Put another way, it is important to our futures how are
memories are framed, how our stories are written in our
souls. Spend time framing your memories well.
Or as one friend of mine likes to say,
"I try to judge the value of any event in terms of its
future anecdotal value."
And when the going gets rough in a relationship, bring
out those photo albums and spend time together re-membering!
The name of the goddess of memory is Mnemosyne. She was
considered one of the most powerful goddesses in her
time. After all, memory is a gift that allows us to
reason, to predict and anticipate outcomes. It is the
very foundation for civilization.
The "art" of memory, once vastly important, fell into
horrible decline when it was rendered "obsolete" by the
invention of the written word. Today Mnemosyne is mostly
known only in her role as the mother of the Muses.
But the ancients
believed that when you died and crossed into the
Underworld you would be asked to choose . . . you could
drink from the river Lethe which would make you forget
all the pains and terrors you had experienced in your
life (but also the lessons they'd taught you), or you
could drink from the spring of memory.
Those who chose to
forget would have to be reborn and return to earth to
learn the lessons they needed. Those who elected to
remember were admitted to the Elysian Fields where they
would spend eternity in comfort and peace.
You can read about the ancient goddess
of memory at:
The Greek Goddess Mnemosyne
Sing it Out!
Have a Complaint or Criticism and just
can't hold it in? In our house the rule on special
occasions is that you've got to sing it out! There's
nothing worse for digestion than the tension of
bickering at the dinner table.
Some of our family are blessed with
gorgeous voices and musical training. And others are
definitely not.
What fun when Sarah, our operatic
soprano, belts out a soulful 'Use your fork, child.
Oh gracious, please spare us the sight and use your fine
fork.'
Or when I, basso profundo and
horribly off-key, lash out with 'Pa...a...ass the
graa..aaa..ay...vy, for the fourth and last time someone
ple..ah..eeze hear my plea!'
We credit the Muses for this
tension-reducing idea.
Mnemosyne and Zeus, the ruler of the
Olympian gods, had nine daughters together. Together
they were called the Muses. Their divine
responsibilities included inspiring poets and musicians
and promoting the arts.
No banquet was complete without them.
Seated near the throne of their father,
the nine sisters entertained the guests, singing,
dancing, reciting poetry and keeping the guest
spellbound with their stories of the greatness of the
gods.
Their influence was profound. By their
praising valiant behavior the Muses encouraged further
heroism.
They were described as "having one mind,
their hearts set upon song and their spirit free from
care".
All were friends and followers of the
god Apollo. On many occasions their wise counsel, as
well as their soothing diversions, kept him from making
poor decisions.
Their gift was that "though a man has
sorrow and grief in his soul, when the Muses sing, at
once he forgets his dark thoughts and remembers not his
troubles." A precious gift indeed.
Read about the Muses and their gifts at:
The Nine Muses
But if all this fails, remember that you can always . . .
Run away from home!
The celebrated dancer and choreographer Twyla Tharp
(pictured at right--WOW!!) said that
'Art
is the only way to run away without leaving home.'
Lee Ustinich quipped that "Art
is spirituality in drag."
It's high time we start recognizing the soulful
connections between spirituality and the arts. Even the
Pope says so!! |
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Speaking of art . . . three new talented
and creative people recently came into my life, each of them on a
mission to share the goddess with the world through
their . . .
Goddess Art
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We're pleased to announce
the addition of these featured artists in the
Gallery of Goddess Art
at the website.
What wonderful energy
they bring!
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Paper Sculptures
by Darrell Ross |
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Artistic Expression of Strength
and Spirit
by Lienne Blick |
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Prayer Paintings
by Ananda Vdovic |
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Please visit the
Gallery of Goddess Art and be inspired by
their
work. |
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The Goddess often sends us her energy, not
only through art but also via adornment.
So we've done something special to sprinkle on some pizzazz
for the season.
We're holding a
week-long special
You Don't Have to Shop Till You
Drop! Sale
on the Glass Art Goddess Collection.
Click below:
Show me the goddess goodies!
Glass art afficianados were shocked last year to learn that
the internationally acclaimed Australian glass artist Colin
Heaney was packing it in and turning his hand to silk design
instead. We never intended to get "into retail", but
we've been carrying his glass art goddesses at the site
since 2005 when he approached us saying he would only allow
them to be represented by those who truly love the goddess.
One look at them and we were hooked!
But sadly, there are to be no more. We've sold out of some
of them and only have a limited supply of the others.
And in the spirit of Colin's desire that they find homes
with those who love and honor the goddess we offer his
pendants, statues and shrines to our subscribers at their
original (i.e., 2005) prices. Hope you enjoy!
I love the goddess!
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