I’d never heard of John Newton, until, walking along the gardens that front the beach at Buncrana, County Donegal, we came across an information board describing his links to the
Category: Civilisation
Wet Summer LightWet Summer Light
Ulverston on a June day. Immediately after a dowsing in one of the rainstorms that have ended two solid months of sunshine and blue skies here in the extreme north-west
shadow spiritualityshadow spirituality
Psychologists have often reminded us that we have a ‘dark side’. Yes, you… And me, too! Sigmund Freud, whose work was behavioural and independent of spirituality, gave us the famous
Orkney’s Hidden Jewel – The Stromness MuseumOrkney’s Hidden Jewel – The Stromness Museum
My iPad, on which I do most of my writing, these days, threw up a random picture of a marine clock the other day. I recognised it as dating to
Mind: Mover of the Soul 3b – birthday Pi?Mind: Mover of the Soul 3b – birthday Pi?
Why 3b? I’ve just discovered that the third post in this series published on Sun in Gemini, but not here. Why, I have no idea! Probably some ‘transient’ bug in
THEATRE OF THE MINDTHEATRE OF THE MIND
Once a month, on the evening of the third Sunday, the Silent Eye hosts a zoom-based get-together on the internet. People join us from across the world. The purpose is
AN ASCENT OF ROYALTYAN ASCENT OF ROYALTY
I was born the year after Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, so it’s fair to say she has been ‘with me’ all my life. Like many of us, I have known no
A Hebridean Diary (6 end) Great BerneraA Hebridean Diary (6 end) Great Bernera
Our two-week trip, ending in the Hebridean Island of Lewis, was coming to an end. The following morning, we would be on a ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool, then a
A Hebridean Diary (3) Of Coats and KingsA Hebridean Diary (3) Of Coats and Kings
We had gone to bed early – exhausted by the journey from Poolewe to Uig. What felt like a full night later, I woke, refreshed, to find the sun streaming
A Poolewe Diary (3) : The Loch on the back of the oats boxA Poolewe Diary (3) : The Loch on the back of the oats box
Continued from Part Two… Food manufacturers learned, long ago, that small children, sitting at the morning table to have their much-needed breakfasts, eagerly consume whatever reading material is in front
Unsung Heroes: Hardwicke Drummond RawnsleyUnsung Heroes: Hardwicke Drummond Rawnsley
The man put down the copper piece. Its construction had taken months, each day a voyage of learning. The elderly and bearded tutor had been patient, his bright eyes –
Four New Horsemen of the ApocalypseFour New Horsemen of the Apocalypse
No-one needs reminding of the dangers we now face… ‘World War Three’ seems to be on everyone’s lips. There’s a danger of self-fulfilling prophecy about this, with images of clever
In my KitchenIn my Kitchen
It’s looking quite forlorn now The larder shelves are bare There’s a rocket in my kitchen And my kitchen isn’t there -:- He doesn’t want the kitchen That father carved
Dictators’ WayDictators’ Way
Devoid of real feeling, the Dictator treads a lonely way along his chosen, barren path. All around him is life – in its shared love and simplicity, but he stays
Can’t help ourselves?Can’t help ourselves?
Over the past three years, I’ve been closely following the ever-accelerating development of robots. In an age where the use of military drones for ‘state-backed’ assassinations is not unusual, and
‘Claims to ancient reach’?…‘Claims to ancient reach’?…
Throughout the books written with Stuart France there are visions; moments of a past long fled that ‘Wen’ still sees written in the ancient stone of the landscape and within
The Cafe at the end of the Writing WorldThe Cafe at the end of the Writing World
“It used to be called, simply, vanity publishing,” a good friend said to me, recently. She is more than just a friend, she’s the kind of good friend who tells
Deepest NightDeepest Night
We are creatures of cycles; the smaller fitting within the increasingly larger. We may have little conception of the very largest, but the effects of that level of creation trickle
The City and the Stars (8) : LongshipsThe City and the Stars (8) : Longships
The traditional picture of the Vikings – looting, marauding, raping invaders – may not be entirely true of their time on Orkney, though they did rule this gentle archipelago with
The City and the Stars (7) : The Standing Stones of StennessThe City and the Stars (7) : The Standing Stones of Stenness
The Standing Stones of Stenness are reduced in importance compared with their former status. But 5,000 years ago, they were the stone circle for the Ness of Brodgar spiritual city.
Three facesThree faces
For November, it was a surprisingly pleasant morning. In need of somewhere to go to stretch our lockdown-cramped legs, we wandered to a neighbouring village to explore its history. Whilst
The Entered Dragon (5) : a seat in the godsThe Entered Dragon (5) : a seat in the gods
Continued from Part Four The stage is set. The feeling of expectation is deep. In the darkness of the auditorium, we cannot see those sitting beside us. The stage is
The Entered Dragon (4) : the world withinThe Entered Dragon (4) : the world within
Continued from Part Three I know these posts, so far, have been intense. The picture painted by Carl Jung and his Jungian successors of our linked internal and external lives
The Entered Dragon (3) : beauty and the beastThe Entered Dragon (3) : beauty and the beast
Continued from Part Two The dream continues… We are frozen, the dragon and I. He cannot be seen, as he is mirroring my every move, behind me. My fingers explore
The Entered Dragon (2) : dancing with shadowsThe Entered Dragon (2) : dancing with shadows
This time the dream is different. I know the dragon is there, but can’t see it. But I can see the heavy spear on the ground in front of me…