The Sea

art by cds

Depth Psychology posits that the ocean and the sea represent the unconscious.  It is obvious, of course, why this is so.  Most of what is in the ocean is hidden in its depths, just as what is in our unconscious and in the collective unconscious (of which our unconscious is a part) is hidden. 

I'm not sure why I was drawn to paint a swimmer, especially a swimmer doing the backstroke.  In this position, the swimmer is really unaware of what is beneath her.  She is moving forward in a backwards position and the waters are choppy.  Perhaps she needs to turn over and open her eyes.  The unconscious might yield secrets if she is willing to look.

The Red Thread

                                                        ~art by cds

"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance.  The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break." ~ Chinese proverb

When I was growing up in the south there was a belief in a silver cord that connected the physical body to the soul.  Upon death, the cord would be severed and the soul would fly away home. Mystics refer to the silver cord as the connection of the physical body to the astral body and claim that the connection is visible when one is having an out of body experience.  My sister had an out of body experience where she was conscious of the silver cord.  As a child, it was comforting to me to think about a shimmery secure silver cord.

Last week one of my former college students posted a Chinese proverb on Facebook concerning an invisible red thread that connects people that are destined to meet.   It is a belief that seems to be prevalent in many Eastern cultures.  I can accept the reality of this concept.  My father met my mother when he had a car accident and was taken to a hospital where she was a nurse.  My husband was my next door neighbor in a large apartment complex in a large city.   Couldn't we all recount chance and circumstance that have resulted in many of the people in our lives?  Some have come for a short time and some have come for a lifetime.  Some are good and some not so good, but perhaps they are all meant to be.  Perhaps we are learning soul lessons.

Now that I am old there are people from early school years that are cycling back into my life.  It is a special experience.  At 68, I have collected many people that I feel I was destined to meet, and I am still meeting such people.  I am grateful.  It is all, I believe, one thread.