Haiku Ellipses...Invitation...Response...

MID STAR right in the middle there is a star that flows out to infinite stars the pattern of stars that emanate from the mid (central) star remind me of the fractal idea coined by Benoit Mandelbrot...fractals are one of the ways we can tell if something is natural or human as typically natural things like plants and rocks show fractal patterns (the larger parts have the same pattern/shape as the smaller ones down to the microscopic level) whereas many things created by humans like microwaves and can openers are not fractal in their appearance. in what ways are the things we create fractal, beginning small and building to something bigger where the whole is the sum of the parts, and yet, there is something more in the whole than merely the sum of the parts...fractals don't account for this greater synergistic idea, this greater life of the whole...as one example, surely our consciousness (our self-reflective awareness of life and the interconnectedness of all things) is more tha...

  Natural Rhythm the natural rhythm between sunrise and sunset the gift of a day! Between the rising and setting of the sun is a natural rhythm.  At the dawning of the sun, all nature awakens, grows in activity, and mellows into a dusky twilight sun, falling silent at night (except of course for nocturnal insects and animals and humans who use artificial light to continue their activities into the evening and often into the night!).  The gift of a new day comes to us again and again.  If we want to change our lives, we need to change the way we live our day. Considering the long stretch of life in the microcosm of one day focuses our attention...what is the most important things i need to do today? how will i live out my values for just this day? what essentials need i do to take proper care of myself so that i can serve others and make life more wonderful for all? after we contemplate our responses, let us take action, begining with one small change in our day... ...

  WILD FACES Same triangle shapes Coloring differently Make 3 wild faces Look at the images at the bottom to see the triangular shaped wild faces ...they all began as triangles and evolved into different faces, the first a "too cool giraffe stares," the second a "sly devil mischievously grins," and the third a "friendly dufus cow like creature beams mellowness." I'm amazed at how the same triangular shapes, with creative coloring, results in such unique faces and emotions. The shape of every day begins with a circular sun that births the smaller shapes of our life that we color with our thoughts, words, and deeds...these combine sometimes intentionally, sometimes mysterious, sometime wildly into shape shifting faces and emotions...let us color our world with love, peace, and a healthy dose of mirth.    

LITTLE CIRCLES little circles swirl around in patterned circle one circle holds all little swirling circles spread into patterns and shapes...finding their way around the rim of a larger circle that contains everything and deep inside they find their way into a core of swirling atomic energy...like the doiley mandala, small movements produce a final shape unexpected by any single swirl. every day we are making tiny swirling circles of energy and light, renewing the pattern of our being and in some sense co-creating the greater world of our reality...the  tiny swirling circles  are conscious in creating patterns of shapes that we observe and name...how much of this process is our consciousness shaping reality...how much is interaction with "other" consciousnesses...and how much is the unique destiny of an energy being taking form information riding on the waves of light...such mystery and wonder. practically, be mindful of the little swirling circular motions we dance into e...

  GRANDMA'S DOILIE rings of colored yarn criss crossing in a pattern grandma's handiwork the little doilie about 5 inches across, brightly colored rings that form a pleasing pattern to contemplate...at the center of this i place a heart shaped stone about 2 inches from top to bottom, reminding me that the heart is at the center of all things--i'm not sure Grandma Baesler who created this doilie was aware of the meanings i would engender to her handiwork, but i am appreciative of her efforts (i haven't developed the skill) to create something beautiful from scraps of material.  the practice: i place my forehead on the heart over the doilie every morning, bowing deep to my ancestors and to the Spirit of all life, offering the day and asking for grace and mercy...i feel connected to all, especially to grandma. what kinds of things have your grandparents (or other relatives, ancestors, or kin) bestowed to you? what meaning might they have for your life? can you create a r...

KINDS OF LOVE the top of the figure represents divine love, the two figures in the middle are human love , the green branches and brown roots are nature love , and either figure in the middle are self love --hearts of varying sizes for different kinds of love , the sparkles and glow radiate out into the world/universe. the love s.o.n.g is an acronym for the different types of love:  s = self, o = others, n = nature, and g = god/goddess or more broadly, divine love ...the practice is one of self-reflection, are we, and how well are we, engaging in all the kinds of love that are possible in this human form?

WITHIN THE EGG hidden in colors within the swirling egg shape is the holy name Many life forms, including use, begin hidden within the egg. ..a flash of light at conception inside the egg is recorded by scientists...this light can be thought of as the divine spark, and in the depiction below, the holy name. Repeating the holy name is sometimes called mantra prayer...i have written about different spiritual traditions and mantra prayer here: https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=communication_fac_pubs The egg symbolizes the birthplace of life and spiritual transformation. The practice of mantra prayer is an aid to this birthing and transformation, and it's practice is deceptively simple: choose a holy name, repeat the name silently (and/or chant the name aloud), and when distracted, return to the holy name for as long as one chooses. One can use the holy name for transforming emotions, repeating the name when noting negative emotions, using th...

HER SHAPE pairing of spirals swirling from top to bottom revealing her shape i often surprise myself when creating these "mandala" forms..." her shape " (see image below) started out as a diamond in the middle of the page followed by pairings of spirals that eventually transformed into what felt like a female shape: rounding, circular, smooth, swirling, like spiraling chakras... might drawings like this unveil hidden aspects of reality? and/or accentuate what is already there, like an emerging figure rising from the ground in Gestalt theory? As a practice, one might sit with oneself, a pencil or some colored markers in one hand and a sheet of unlined paper (simple copy paper will do) in one's lap or on a table, and then, beginning in the middle, create and keep going without too much conscious thinking/reflection about how your artistic creation looks. It's vital to keep the flow going, to let happen whatever needs to happen without too much interference fro...

 BOTTLED HEART red hearts trapped inside the polygon blue diamonds dots will set hearts free the polygon blue diamonds represent forces of the outer world that can harden and crystalize our exteriors...the blue diamonds are shaped like a bottle within which are trapped human hearts. ..the dots are forces at the edges of our bodies and outside of us that have the power to uncork the bottle and allow the love and care in our hearts to pour out into life. the process of uncorking the bottle is something that we all need to do every day...not only to let our love flow, but to release the build up of tension/stress within our hearts ...i've found the best way to do this on the regular is meditation and/or prayer...something simple like the relaxation response by Herbert Benson...sitting in a relaxed quiet place, repeat a positive word on each exhale, when other thoughts come remain passive (e.g., say "oh well" and go back to repeating the word)...continue for 10-15 mins...tha...

PEACOCK crisscrossing spirals green, brown, orange, and blue combine excited peacock this image began with two infinity symbols at center, grew outward with colors and ovals between the infinities... we come from the infinite center and add ovals and color to our lives as we grow...if we step back for perspective, we may feel the beauty and excitement of a male peacock. what small things in our lives can we bring together (or create) to form a beautiful excited peacock ready for action? how might we step back from our lives and observe the places where excited peacocks may already be strutting, ready for action?