Living in the Now, Eh?
There is a lot of good talk at the moment about living in the now - I think I get it - don't worry about the future. let go of the past etc. But the practical implications of the constant now seem a bit confusing or unrealistic for me. Here I am living in the now, oops no I've missed it, oh darn that now...May be I need to grow my beard a bit longer and spend more time in mountain top cave locations, or maybe, as with most things, our language falls short of what we mean. These are exactly the moments for further thought.
Living in the now could be thought of as a divine spiritual state, but, following the Reggae festival I've been to this weekend I would suggest it could also be achieved with some good music and a large dose of Calimocho (Spain's beloved coca-cola and wine mix). In fact many people seek and find the 'now' in pleasure or oblivion with great success. But I don't think this is the 'now' our spiritual sages are referring to. This kind of now hits you with a big hammer in the morning - saying 'WHAT NOW?'
The divine now, I would suggest, is not the now of a moment in time, but rather the essence of eternity. It is the consciousness that our actions live and move and have their being in the ocean of eternity. The now is not something to be captured, in fact, it is a holy consideration of all material and transient experiences in the context of eternity. It is to know that the true reality of light and love cannot be contained but may well be reflected by objects and actions. It is to enjoy that reality but never to possess it, to know that you are part of it. Your past, your future, your present, play shapes in the sand.

Fiestas de San Juan - My first witch burning!

When I decided to attend the fiestas of San Juan I'd been told what to expect - a big bonfire and some dancing and maybe a spot of drinking. The idea, as I understand it, is that on the shortest night of the year we join to celebrate the light conquering over the darkness. Whether it is a Pagan or Christian rite, I am not going to argue here ... I think it is human...very human... to give ritual to hope as a way of holding tighter to it.

What I didn't expect to see was all the children of the village dressed in black and dancing around a huge figure of a witch! Initially the spectacle was quite eerie, the a fore mentioned witch seemed to be hit with the locals, embraced by the crowds, but it was soon clear her trajectory through the streets and squares was towards the fire and her end would not be pretty.

Suddenly, feeling slightly more sad for the witch, I remember the many people who throughout history have been scapegoated for societies ills. Stakes, crosses, planks, stones. How we long to take that slippery thing we call evil and pin it on someone or something and hope it will go away. So now in the flickering flame I see the witch again, Christ-like in sacrifice, a symbol and nothing more than the darkness in all of us from which we need liberation. Beneath the night sky, I lift my own fears and failures to the One who hides behind the stars, and watching the unflinching power of the blaze, my feet begin to dance and I believe again in my freedom.

Cuando decidí a asistir a las fiestas de San Juan, me habían dicho lo que podria esperar, una gran hoguera, baile y un poco de consumo de alcohol. La idea, como yo la tenia entendida, era que en la noche más corta del año, nos unimos para celebrar la conquista de la luz sobre las tinieblas. Si se trate de un rito pagano o cristiano, yo no voy a discutir aquí ... Creo que es humana ... muy humana ... a dar un ritual a la esperanza para sentirse mas cerca a ella. Lo que no esperaba era ver a todos los niños del pueblo vestidos de negro y bailando alrededor de una enorme figura de una bruja! Inicialmente, el espectáculo era bastante extraño, la bruja una estrella del pueblo, abrazada por las multitudes, pero de pronto se hizo evidente que su trayectoria por las calles y plazas fue hacia el fuego y su fin no iba a ser bonito.

De repente, senti un poco más triste por la bruja, me acorde de las muchas personas que a lo largo de la historia han sido chivos expiatorios de los males de las sociedades. Las estacas, las cruces, los tablones, las piedras. Como nos gusta tomar esa cosa resbaladiza a que llamamos la maldad y  echar toda la culpa por ella a alguien o algo y esperar que vaya a desaparecer. 

Así que ahora en la llama vacilante, veo a la bruja con otra luz, semejante a Cristo en su sacrificio, un símbolo y nada más de la oscuridad en todos nosotros, de la que necesitamos la liberación. Bajo el cielo de la noche, levanto mis propios miedos y fracasos a Aquel que se esconde detrás de las estrellas, y al ver el poder inquebrantable de las llamas, mis pies comienzan a bailar y creo de nuevo en mi libertad.

Undo edits

Ideas by Candlelight

An empty building, old furniture scrabbled together, a ramshackle group of diverse dreamers and some candlelight... a couple of beers and introductions later and the ideas began to flow... how could this place 'under construction' ... become a place of 'rebuilding hopes long devastated' a hub for making material the wildest imaginings for a different world. A future re-envisioned through the undimmed aspirations of a child.

(left : first gathering @agorahub -photo www.julianmarinov.com)


Yet beware, the flickering candlelight a sober reminder of the fragility of the hopeful and the ever-increasing challenge to be guardians of such light against the encroaching darkness. Change doesn't come overnight but it is likely to have to live through a few.


Un edificio vacío, unos muebles trastos tirados en conjunto, un grupo destartalado de soñadores diversos y unas velas ... un par de cervezas y las presentaciones y luego las ideas comienzan a fluir ... ¿cómo podría este lugar "en construcción" ... ser convertido en un lugar de la "reconstrucción de las esperanzas devastadas durante mucho tiempo" y un HUB para la fabricación en lo material, de las fantasías más descabelladas para un mundo diferente. Un futuro re-imaginado a través de las aspiraciones no decepcionadas de un niño. (a la izquierda: primer encuentro @ agorahub) Sin embargo, ojo, la luz de las velas parpadeantes un sobrio recordatorio de la fragilidad de la esperanza y el desafío cada vez mayor de ser los guardianes de la luz contra la oscuridad como usurpación. El cambio no es día para otro, y es probable que tenga que vivir a través de unas noches mas.

Mini Pilgrim

On Fri of last week I went on a mini adventure on my bike into the unknown. I wanted to see how far I could get; I wanted some time with the Creator and the landscape. The great thing about going on any journey like this, is that it can be a small mirror to the bigger adventure of life. If you allow yourself to reflect on this, you have a pilgrimage in the making. For me it was interesting to note not only the content of the adventure…beauty, danger, relief, effort, diversion, surprise.. but also my approach to it.. poor planning, risk embracing, positive thinking, independent yet rescue awaiting, a stubbornness for the goal but an openness to the unexpected. I realise that, for better or worse, these ways of operating are characteristic of my general approach to life. What are the strengths and weaknesses of this way of walking? (Don’t all scream with frustration at once!) What is your way of walking? You could pick any journey or adventure you’ve had recently and reflect on not only the ‘what’ but the ‘how’ of your ways –what are you footsteps/bike tracks telling you?

Adventures in simplicity -the Three Pie Rule

I have heard it said that if you are a preparing a speech, it's worth considering that people can rarely retain more than 3 points for any length of time. Rather like goldfish ..but 3 times as intelligent. Go us!
Continuing discussions on the simple life, it has been suggested that part of the trick is being contented with doing less, and doing it well. However as those of you who know me would confirm, I am one for having my fingers in a lot of pies - my favorite one being the headless chicken pie.. mm tasty. But I'm going to propose to myself and others who wish to try it, the all new 'The 3 Pie Rule'. ..

• Select those things you feel really connected and called to at this time (if necessary write a list)
• Reduce to 3 areas of focus.. have a good smell of those 3 tasty pies
• Then stick your fingers right in (arms if you like) and feel no guilt for the other pies - someone will eat them -or you will eat them later ;-)

And note how I have tried to squeeze my 3 pie recipe into 3 points and remember them, you gorgeous goldfish you..

Keeping life simple ;)

'Abbey National- because life is complicated enough' ..do you remember the ad campaign?..Abbey National is now Santander! And that's just it really - it's hard to keep things simple when the world around us is in constant flux and change. So when a dear friend launched the question at me last week of  'How do we keep life simple?' I was more than happy to chew upon the bone and invite others to do the same.
I think what I perceive as a generalised hunger for simplicity in our society, comes from the ever increasing range of choices open to us as modern man. In the arena of choice we are blessed with options and cursed with the fear that we will take the wrong one. Thus we experience a constant state of consumer anxiety and not just for material products but for life products too. 'Happiness' 'well-being' 'success' are the new more elusive acquisitions which we spend our time and energy searching for.
We rarely experience the simple connectedness to earth and survival, community and solidarity that we imagine our ancestors did and some of our contemporaries may still. But we cannot go back. The new 'simples' must find a way to navigate the complexities of modern society without negating it or escaping it.
I think to find this simplicity we must look within. Search in the core of our being, for the basic principles that guide us and bring us alive and live from those. 'The simple way' may involve letting go of the quest for happiness well-being and success as products in themselves. It may involve a new humility that accepts our inability to sew-up and conquer reality by making all the right choices and learns how to wonder at it instead. And  learns we are loved, not itemised.
To be continued...

El pan de cada dia - Daily bread

Living in Spain is making me more 'bread-aware'. Bread is a big deal here. Bread with every meal. Bread required everyday. Fresh. If you take a wander down any Spanish street at around 2 you will see people carrying bread to their respective houses for lunch- a sight I have grown very fond of. Opening a bakery is far from a foolish plan.

I think of the biblical prayer 'Give us today our daily bread' and realise that the culture of the time was probably very 'bread-conscious' also, knowing it as central or essential part of their daily sustenance.

In my house we buy or make fresh bread everyday and if there is some left over we share it for supper. I turn my mind to the bread of spiritual sustenance and realise it is the same..we need it fresh.. daily.. and big enough to share. So go fetch, make, share. May our words and thoughts be nourishment to the weary and good company to the friend.