COVER ARTIST: Nicola Parker
TITLE: The Invisible Void
MEDIUM: Photographic Screen-Printing
CONTACT: nikabee@gmail.com
The cover image I have chosen for this month’s Connect Magazine is from an exhibition I did, called Synapse. The piece is screen-printed on Japanese rice paper. In the foreground are brain cells, printed over a macro photo I took of tree bark that reminded me of an image of the brain.
You can find Just Bee at the Port Douglas markets every Sunday; Handmade Cans on Sheridan Street, and at our online Etsy store, https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/JustBeeDesign. Or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JustBeeDesign
‘A spirituality that is only private and self-absorbed, one devoid of an authentic political and social consciousness, does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut of history. On the other hand, an activism that is not purified by profound spiritual and psychological self-awareness and rooted in divine truth, wisdom, and compassion, will only perpetuate the problem it is trying to solve, however righteous its intentions. When, however, the deepest and most grounded spiritual vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing political, economic, and social institutions, a holy force – the power of wisdom and love in action – is born. This force I define as Sacred Activism.’ – Andrew Harvey
Sacred Activism is a transforming force of compassion-in-action that is born of a fusion of deep spiritual knowledge, courage, love, and passion, with wise radical action in the world. The large-scale practice of Sacred Activism can become an essential force for preserving and healing the planet and its inhabitants, focused on inviting concerned people to take up the challenge of our contemporary crises in order to become inspired, effective and practical agents of institutional and systemic change, in order to create peace and sustainability.
Why is Sacred Activism crucial for our future?
The economic, political, spiritual world crisis that we currently find ourselves in is a call to action. It is an opportunity for us to understand the realities around us and to rally together to do something different. We now have before us the possibility of using this current crisis to empower ourselves, and others, to actually get the planet to work. Embracing an uncertain future, we need to support leaders who are inspired, courageous and effective, to rise up. We need to renew the energy of people who are burnt out and apathetic in institutions and corporations. If we point individuals to an inner compass that renews their passion, there is hope for real solutions and inspired creativity. All that we need is already there, in the currency of people, and it only needs to be tapped into.
Neither contemporary spiritual seekers nor activists have been connected to a vision of action that is inspiring, hopeful and rooted in deep spiritual wisdom and compassion. Some spiritual seekers, for instance, use spiritual knowledge as a subtle way of dissociating from hands-on realistic social, economic and political engagement in the world, thereby ensuring that the world and its people will be abandoned in their hour of extreme need.
Activists, on the other hand, are prone to complete exhaustion, burnout and debilitating and divisive rage, and are often cut off from the healing and transforming wisdom of the spiritual traditions and the simple techniques, prayers, and practices that could sustain, inspire, and nourish them in their heroic endeavours.
We have seen that in the very heart of the chaos of the modern crisis, an extraordinary lineage has arisen of ordinary people who have fused deep spiritual knowledge, experience, and practice, with wise, incessant action for justice and peace. Having emerged against all odds, they accomplished the unimaginable.
Sacred Activism is the product of the union of a profound spiritual and mystical knowledge, understanding, and compassion, peace and energy, with focused, wise, radical action in the world.
The vision of Sacred Activism is dedicated to honouring and continuing the tremendous work of extraordinary, ordinary people such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks and Desmond Tutu. Each of these individuals and many more, rose up to meet the challenges of their time with great spiritual grace and integrated inner contemplation, with decisive action. The work of Paul Ray (Cultural Creatives) and Paul Hawken (Blessed Unrest) reveals to us that there is in our contemporary world an arising of different groups of concerned people anxious for change. Sacred Activism provides these people with a system of thought and traditional wisdom practices to help support the kind of transformative change that is necessary for the world to be preserved.
‘The one hope for the future lies, I believe, in Sacred Activism – the fusion of the deepest spiritual knowledge and passion with clear, wise, radical action in all the arenas of the world, inner and outer. We have very little time in which to awaken and transform ourselves, to be able to preserve the planet, and to heal the divisions between the powerful and the powerless. Let us go forward now with firm resolve and profound dedication.’
Andrew Harvey – Passion for Change. Serbian Cultural Centre, 67 Greenslopes Street, Edge Hill, Cairns. Thursday 11th June 2015, 7pm for 7.30 start. Bookings:http://www.transformationaltours.com.au/andrewharvey2015/
Andrew will be talking with Renee from Connect Magazine and other media at 5pm, and signing his books at Crystal Ball Bookshop, 91 Grafton St, Cairns at 5.30pm on that date.
The month begins with Mercury home into Gemini on 1st May, and making an opposition to Saturn on 3rd May. This is very educational, as in learning, teaching, exchanging information and progressing quickly towards quite demanding goals and targets.
Mars goes into Gemini on 12th May: picking up the pace; increasing the effort and endurance overtakes the sprint; by 27th May the field is sorted and settled.
Back at the Scorpio: full moon on 4th May; things are decidedly unsettled, Sun and Moon both squaring Jupiter in the fixed signs; Mercury opposite Saturn and it’s on for young and old. Not much give and take here, or respect. Emotions are bared. Tread gently and try not to get caught up in the blame game. Venus is in Gemini, so – dance lightly.
Then, after 8th May, with Mercury in Gemini and Venus in Cancer, children and nurturing talents become priorities. Venus trines with Neptune on 17th May with the dark Moon also in harmony; very deep, mystical, magical and visionary. Who know what this night may bring? A marvellous moon for spell-making and seed planting.
The Sun crosses the Taurus/Gemini cusp on the night of the 21st, with a fertile, rising Cancer moon, and Mercury, Venus and Jupiter all in step, nicely centred in Gemini, Cancer and Leo respectively.
Pluto centred in Capricorn holding the bass beat. Lay this pattern out in a circle (as astrology does) and it looks quite beautiful: a graceful, swinging pendulum around the Earth with inter-weaving frequencies and harmonies gently swaying. If you can see your life as part of this pattern at this time then you are seeing the truth revealed. ‘Would you like to swing on a star?’ goes the old song. Just say yes.
That’s not how traditional astrology defines the above pattern, by the way. Just my take. It’s an arrow-head pattern with Venus at the point, Pluto providing the thrust and Mercury/Jupiter as the barbs, or guidance system. Aim at your passion or desire; thrust with full power and watch the arrow fly to the target. Which interpretation do you prefer?
There’s a rising Libran moon for Origin 1 so it might be a fair, evenly-balanced game with an honest result. That’d be different.
All-in-all, we’re through the eclipse season and everything should settle nicely. Just for a while, may we not live in interesting times!
Rob Hart