Jacob van Cost, Recognizing the Sacred Stranger, Fellowship of Friends

Recognizing the Sacred Stranger

Who is the sacred stranger, according to ancient laws of hospitality? The sacred guest we shelter and to which we must offer food, is our Self. The Sacred Stranger in Greek Mythology Strangers who travel to certain lands retaining old customs may participate in a mystery: The gods may enter our abode, unknown to us. […]

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Chartres Cathedral maze, thoughts on the six cosmic processes, Fellowship of Friends, Robert Earl Burton

Opening Thoughts on the Six Cosmic Processes

The Fourth Way school that is the Fellowship of Friends[1] studies the six cosmic processes outlined by Peter Ouspensky in A Record of Meetings and A Further Record. His student, Rodney Collin, described the six processes in detail in The Theory of Celestial Influence, written after Ouspensky’s death. Collin notes that this is not a new idea:  The principle that six […]

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Darkness and light, sleep and awakening

Quotes on Sleep and Awakening

from Fourth Way writers and other mystical authors P.D.Ouspensky: For us, meditation is imagination. Enough imagination is in us as it is, without adding meditation. We must try to awaken first.  P.D.Ouspensky: Symbolism in ordinary art… is the product of a man’s dreams. In much of modern art, it is  is the product of his nightmares. […]

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Yuba River, California - image by Sharon Gordon

Photography of Simple Moments

So just what makes an outstanding moment of photography? -Image courtesy of Sharon Gordon See some moments here: https://vimeo.com/202335588/ac0bce355f A photographer’s eye mirrors the space she inhabits. We present the work of Sharon Gordon in this recent video. A professional photographer, Sharon travels the world and captures these simple moments. For more of Sharon’s work, see […]

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Simplicity - bread and jam

Bread-making: The Soul of Craft

Bread and the Essence of Craftmanship – How does a master craftsman use bread-making for presence? Amidst these days of mass marketing and food production, one man here makes bread by hand for his community. Craftsmanship requires attention in the moment for a finished product to be both useful and beautiful. Presence to detail creates […]

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Simplicity

On Simplicity – Quotations

– Quotations on the necessity of inner simplicity, from writers, mystics, and artists. Leonardo da Vinci: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Michel de Montaigne: Others study how to elevate their minds and hoist them up tight; I, how to humble mine and lay it to rest. Goethe: This is the most difficult thing of all, though it […]

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