Wisdom & Beauty

No matter how extreme a situation is, it will change. It cannot continue forever. Thus, a great forest fire is always destined to burn itself out; a turbulent sea will become calmer. Natural events balance themselves out by seeking their opposites, and this process of balance is at the heart of all healing. ~ Deng Ming-Dao Art by: Bernard Vié @beautyandwisdom

Sea shell with carved head at the apex (possibly Phoenician, 600 bc) @beautyandwisdom

Scapegoating/shadow projecting is itself a violent act of self-mutilation. The origin of scapegoating involves a severing and disowning of a darker part of ourselves, which we then—in a second act of (energetic) violence—project outside of ourselves onto an “other.” We react violently when we encounter an embodied reflection of our shadow in the outer world, wanting to destroy it, as it reminds us of something dark within ourselves that we want nothing to do with. This act of external violence is a dramatization of the original inner act of “splitting” (which is itself a violent affair) off from our own darkness. In other words, our inner process of violence towards our own darkness (which is itself inspired by the very darkness we are dissociating from) is being dreamed up and acted out on the canvas of the external world with real world consequences. A question naturally arises: is otherness more threatening in its difference (in its alien quality) or is it more menacing in its sameness (that its reflecting something back within ourselves)? ....The most horrible acts of persecution are often committed in the name of the fight against persecution. The ones who are scapegoating believe they are self-righteously supporting the truth while in actuality they are living and propagating an egregious lie. Neumann writes, “True to the basic principle of the scapegoat psychology, the conscious mind believes itself to be identical with the higher values and commits the most appalling atrocities in the sublime self-assurance of an ‘absolutely clear conscience.’” Scapegoating illustrates how the darkness uses people who are overly identified with the light as its secret outposts. The darkness literally hides in the light. Overly identifying with our light nature and projecting out our darkness are interrelated aspects of a deeper singular process. Scapegoating only functions based on ignorance, blindness and a persecutory unconsciousness. In Christ’s words, those who scapegoat “know not what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Its power is dependent on a lie, which is why the lie must remain hidden at all costs. When the lie underlying the scapegoat mechanism is exposed the spiral of violence is broken and wetiko is dispelled – for good. ~ Paul Levy excerpts from: https://www.awakeninthedream.com/articles/scapegoating @beautyandwisdom

"A spectacular aerial photo of the Great Pyramid of Giza, with its 8 sides (not 4) clearly visible. This concave feature is not visible from the ground. It can however be seen in aerial photos and on particular days when the sun shines on the structures at a certain angle. This phenomenon was spotted for the first time in 1940 by accident by a British Air Force pilot who was flying over the Giza pyramids. However, this odd feature had already been mentioned by the English Egyptologist Sir Flinders Petrie in the 1870s, who concluded that this was a deliberate feature, and not a construction error." @beautyandwisdom

Top of The Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt 📸: Alexander Ladanivskyy @beautyandwisdom

The Magical Ancestral Sound of the Khomus, called Aman Khuur in Mongolia, played by the masterclass Yuliyana Krivoshapkina of the Sakha Republic. Yuliyana is one of the best performers of the Khomus, which is the national instrument of the Sakha people. The Khomus is a type of jaw harp that is traditional used by shamans as a healing tool. @beautyandwisdom

In the Western tradition there is a recognized hierarchy of beings, with, of course, the human being on top—the pinnacle of evolution, the darling of Creation—and the plants at the bottom. But in Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as “the younger brothers of Creation.” We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn—we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance. Their wisdom is apparent in the way that they live. They teach us by example. They’ve been on the earth far longer than we have been, and have had time to figure things out. ~ Robin Wall Kimmerer Art by: Tijana Lukovic @beautyandwisdom

Choeradodis Stalii Praying Mantis 📸: Ennis Fei @beautyandwisdom

"It is no great accomplishment to hear a voice in the head. The accomplishment is to make sure it's telling you the truth." ~ Terence McKenna Artwork: 'La Primavera, Portrait of Rachel Patsika' by Gary Stephens @beautyandwisdom

Artwork: 'Holland' by Hannah Höch (German, 1889-1978) c. 1942 Oil on canvas @beautyandwisdom

"You don't give a man a weapon until you've taught him how to dance." ~ Irish Proverb @beautyandwisdom

It’s a common misconception that hula is just for women. Nope. Men were the first to master the ancient dance form, using it as a way to tell the stories of warriors. Today, the dancers of Ke Kai O Kahiki are carrying on this tradition with the grace, power and strength of the warriors that came before them. 'The ancient Hawaiians had no written form of language so they developed the Hula dance to pass history, myth, and culture down from generation to generation.' Credit: Great Big Story @beautyandwisdom

Love this so much, blessed be the Fathers! ❤️ Credit: DanielEisenman @beautyandwisdom

Dubbed "the most interesting moth in the world", the incredible Picasso Moth (Baorisa Hieroglyphica) is a rare beauty found in India and Asia 📸: msone @beautyandwisdom

Many people spend their whole lives in waiting-for-validation prison, endlessly trying to gain the approval of others. Often birthed in their dynamics with invalidating parents (who themselves were invalidated), this disempowering pattern is a shame-fulfilling prophecy, one that leads us nowhere. Because even if people validate you, it won’t be enough. You will just go looking for it somewhere else. And that won’t get you anywhere either, because the issue isn’t validation. The issue is the mistaken belief that another human being can liberate you from your self-hatred. They can’t. Because they are trapped inside of the same prison. Under-validated people seeking validation from other under-validated people. An impossible cycle. A hopeless waste of energy. Oh magnificent one, please stop seeking the approval of others. Don’t you see? You have already been approved. You have already passed the divine test. You’re here, for God’s sake! Your validation is within the heart of each breath. Breathe in—I am loved! Breathe out—I am loved… What will it take before we get it? ~ Jeff Brown @beautyandwisdom

Let There Be Life 🙏 This shot of unusual swallow's nest was taken by Robert Fuller, a wildlife photographer and artist, who returned to his home in Thixendale, North Yorks, UK, to find the birds nesting in the old lantern. 📸: RobertFuller @beautyandwisdom

New Shoes + Rhythm = 🙌 @beautyandwisdom

Conophytum Pageae, a small succulent native to South Africa and Southern Namibia 👄 @beautyandwisdom

"Radiolarian (single-celled marine organisms) skeletons exhibit stunning geometric patterns due to a blend of genetic instructions and physical laws. Their genes guide the formation of these intricate structures by extracting and organizing silica from seawater. Symmetrical shapes emerge as silica arranges into low-energy configurations through surface tension and energy minimization. Additionally, simple molecular interactions lead to complex, self-organized patterns, resulting in the mesmerizing designs seen in radiolaria." @beautyandwisdom