Archive for the ‘City Sights’ Category
The Seat of Wisdom
I went into the cathedral in the City of Ladies, at the corner of Hope and Despair.
Inside the chapel, off to the left, was a small wooden confessional. I knocked, opened the door, went in, and sat down. I was bathed in a soft blue light. Looking up, I noticed a small stained glass window that said: “Sedes Sapientiae”, Latin for “Seat of wisdom”, one of Mary’s titles, so called because she was the vessel through which we received God’s wisdom incarnate. I meditated on what “seat of wisdom” meant to me:
Being still
Listening carefully
Paying attention
Being thankful
Seeking beauty
Learning always
Forgiving yourself
Trying to understand
Giving yourself another chance,
And another, and another.
Knowing when to let go
And when to move on.
Finding strength deep within.
Amen.
As I left the confessional, a priest waved at me and sang out,
“This is the day that the Lord has made,
Let us rejoice and go home.”
I smiled back at him and was on my way.
© 2008 Kerry Vincent
arrival in Lemuria
When I visited Paris, my friends and I rode the Metro all around town. I had no idea where we were going, but when we’d walk up the stairs and out onto the sidewalk, I would see something wonderful I had only read about before: the Louvre, Notre Dame, Musee’ D’Orsay, Opera House, Left Bank, Champs Elysees, Sacre’ Coeur, the Arc de Triomphe…it was magical. I did not always know where I was, but I knew it was somewhere I wanted to be.
I had a feeling this road trip to Lemuria would be something like that. So when I popped up from the magical Metro station, and saw the beautiful colored gates, I knew this would be the first step of a wonderful journey.
I checked my itinerary, which said my first stop would be the Lemurian Gateway of Choice, so called because I could choose to stay or go, seek for answers or ignore the questions, , look within and see if there were anything I liked, pursue my talents or give up, wonder what might have been. I might find love and enlightenment – or it might be a waste of time and energy. Who knew? But I’d never know unless I tried…
Besides, who could resist entering such a beautiful, enchanting passageway? And besides, I’d heard some of my fellow pilgrims might be a bunch of girls who just wanna have fun…
As I walked through the archway, I thought I heard the fluttering of hundreds of raven wings, the sweet strains of a gypsy violin, and maybe a siren’s song…
Next on the itinerary was a stop at the undersea Atlantic Cathedral, more like a giant aquarium, with a small alcove where land mammals like me could look in at the wonders, be amazed, be humbled, be thankful for such beauty, and pray to the Muse for the grace to always be inspired.
(photo of Wahington National Cathedral by Gary Stiles)
street art in the beggars quarter
On any walking tour in any city – and Lemuria is no exception – if you keep your eyes open you will see any variety of what might be called street art. To my mind this encompasses graffiti, murals, trompe l’oeils (those pictures designed to look like something else) and odd pictures that an artist might have made and stuck up somewhere just for the pleasure.
On my last walk through the beggars quarter, for this is where most of these pictures were taken, I came across an extraordinary variety of art.
This one is an example of stencil graffiti. The artist cuts out a stencil and then, using a can of spray paint, can quickly daub any number of these pictures in a very short time. This one is only as big as my hand. Blink and you might have missed it.
These next three examples are more the sort of thing that people associate with the word graffiti
How about these two? graffiti or a piece of art that might have been commissioned?
and this last one, my favourite. Someone has painted these vibrant poppies on to a sheet of plastic and stuck it up on a metal door. Someone else perhaps has taken a knife to it and scored out sections which have been replaced but not quite in their original positions thus giving it the look of a collage.
Dreams for Sale
The Fountain
It blocks the rumble of the city with the sound of constant running water, and in keeping with my general state of whimsy the turtle and the gargoyles have gravitated toward this epicentre of my outdoor world. The small daisies I find along the park side after the grass has been cut and I just can’t bear to leave them to be pounded underfoot.
Early Vine
Early Vine
White heads held elegantly
Gold hearts exposed to chilled air
Faces scan for sun’s warming
Debutantes on solar breath, dancing
Darker partners, holding, climbing
Together weaving, darting, vining
The Apothecary’s Shop is open
The shop overlooks the sea, in a sunny position, with a flourishing herb garden and lots of geraniums pouring out of big stone pots. I love this location – apothecary’s shops are sometimes thought of as dark, poky little places, but I need lots of light and the scent of the sea.
There is plenty of living room at the back of the shop, and though it is simply furnished with rugs and baskets from the bazaar, it is very comfortable. I spend most of time in the still room, anyway, where I have put shelves and drawers for my herbal supplies, and a big roll top desk where i keep my receipt (recipe) book.
The interior of the house is lovely, with buttery cream walls and deep hearths for cold nights. I know I will be very happy here.
I have been stocking the shop – Heather’s Goddess of the Hearth has pride of place, of course. I have a new set of brass scales from the bazaar, glass jars filled with dried herbs and home made confections – horehound candy, peppermint creams, violet comfits.
There is home made ginger beer, sarsaparilla and lemonade verbena to drink; rows of pretty glass bottles filled with lavender water, Hungary water and other scented delights; big rush baskets overflowing with pot pourri; and creams and potions for every need – calendula cream, honey and garlic paste, four thieves vinegar and sweet smelling essential oils to lift every mood.
You can linger and enjoy a cup of herbal tea with some rosemary scones, lavender shortbread or oatcakes with lemon and ginger marmalade. And yes, that is a pack of tarot cards you see on the table by the window. The Gypsies have been to the shop to stock up on herbs and have offered to read your tarot cards while you sip your tea.
