Dougald, it's been such a joy to follow you on your fine champagne adventure. I sense that that light, fizzing energy is part of the future that's coming towards us (rather the one that seems to lead out from under our feet that has brought us to the present from the past) as we learn how to greet with open arms whatever is drawn to us by the siren call of that fizz...
I’m so glad I took some time to read your post this morning. I’m not sure I can explain why, but reading it left me with a smile on my face, a bit more hope, and a hint of envy. Really beautiful. I hope your tour continues to be a blessing to you and the people you encounter. Now I’ll have to search out your book.
You seem to have been received by a weave you helped create, a manifestation of some sort of inner projection of goodwill. How excellent to see the world working in this way amidst the ruins. May it spread.
"Stopping in Bristol, on my way from Sheffield to Devon, I sit down for half an hour with my old friend Charlie Davies."
And it's a good thing he's your friend, 'cause spending a day with him would cost me £1500 as explained on his Substack. That's $1791.60 American! So let him buy you the beer or whiskey next time you hang out.
*** edit ***
I'm sure he's a good and worthy friend, by the way. Honestly.
But his $1791. day rate provided me for some direct, experiential inquiry into my principal research topic of the moment, which is the relationship of feeling to thinking ... and to sensing, intuiting and imagining. And how to synthesize these, to bring them together into coherent sense-making and human integrity. (I'm helping to birth a contemplative practice for this purpose, Dear Dougald, and damned how much you could help if you wanted to!)
I'm presently halfway through an alchemical transformation of lead into gold here. I had to really meet with the way his day rate rubs me wrong, to embrace that feeling response fully, before I could make the gold, which is now honey in my heart!
I'm noticing now I've not been particularly good at letting feeling fully meet thinking in this particular alchemical way, because I've never fully honored my feeling nature as much as it is due ... and allowed it to do this lovely honey-in-the-heart dance it's doing now by being both felt fully and thought clearly. So what a blessing your clear-seeing friend has been for me this morning! And I've never even met the guy!
Thank you for this post, for sharing this part of your journey. Two things struck home from your writing today. Am I doing what is needed? This is subtly different that doing what is expected and informs my inquiry. Thank you. And who couldn't use some fizz in the blood. What a wonderful phrase? Lastly, I've glanced at the thought about being born into the end of a world, but today it struck me differently and as worthy of further exploration. It's not a bad thing to be born into the ending of a world, except one becomes imprinted with and embedded into the world as it was when one arrives. That birth word has to be let go in order to welcome the new world - because, yes, the end of one world implies and heralds the beginning, the birth of a new one.
I am in a course with Helen, just commented on Carolines talk with McGilgrist filmed by you, and now am accidentally subscribed to this newsletter... fluidly synchronised...
We held each other tightly through our hell of dreams
I still hear the never ending echo of those screams
But it's a life not made for reliving
It's a life that makes your soul forgiving
We sealed our bond from the beginning
Oh, love among the ruins
Aching, affection, vulnerable protection
Falling, captured, crawling, rapture
(Love among the ruins)
The sky was falling
(Love among the ruins)
Heaven was calling
(Love among the ruins)
Oh love, love
Songwriters: Jules Shear, Robert N. Buck, Jerome Stanley Augustyniak, Steven E. Gustafson, Mary Jeanne Ramsey, John C. Lombardo, Dennis Drew. For non-commercial use only.
________
I much prefer the Maniacs with Natalie Merchant as lead vocalist. Her voice was a bit haunting, but very grounded and solid.
Dougald, it's been such a joy to follow you on your fine champagne adventure. I sense that that light, fizzing energy is part of the future that's coming towards us (rather the one that seems to lead out from under our feet that has brought us to the present from the past) as we learn how to greet with open arms whatever is drawn to us by the siren call of that fizz...
Main quest, side quest and hidden quest completed. Congrats! Now for the return, integration, and the beginnings of the next book, no doubt :)
When this much serendipity and synchronicity show up in your life, you know you are on the right track - doing the work that needs doing. 🙌
Dougald,
I’m so glad I took some time to read your post this morning. I’m not sure I can explain why, but reading it left me with a smile on my face, a bit more hope, and a hint of envy. Really beautiful. I hope your tour continues to be a blessing to you and the people you encounter. Now I’ll have to search out your book.
Cheers,
Deanna
You seem to have been received by a weave you helped create, a manifestation of some sort of inner projection of goodwill. How excellent to see the world working in this way amidst the ruins. May it spread.
"Stopping in Bristol, on my way from Sheffield to Devon, I sit down for half an hour with my old friend Charlie Davies."
And it's a good thing he's your friend, 'cause spending a day with him would cost me £1500 as explained on his Substack. That's $1791.60 American! So let him buy you the beer or whiskey next time you hang out.
*** edit ***
I'm sure he's a good and worthy friend, by the way. Honestly.
But his $1791. day rate provided me for some direct, experiential inquiry into my principal research topic of the moment, which is the relationship of feeling to thinking ... and to sensing, intuiting and imagining. And how to synthesize these, to bring them together into coherent sense-making and human integrity. (I'm helping to birth a contemplative practice for this purpose, Dear Dougald, and damned how much you could help if you wanted to!)
I'm presently halfway through an alchemical transformation of lead into gold here. I had to really meet with the way his day rate rubs me wrong, to embrace that feeling response fully, before I could make the gold, which is now honey in my heart!
I'm noticing now I've not been particularly good at letting feeling fully meet thinking in this particular alchemical way, because I've never fully honored my feeling nature as much as it is due ... and allowed it to do this lovely honey-in-the-heart dance it's doing now by being both felt fully and thought clearly. So what a blessing your clear-seeing friend has been for me this morning! And I've never even met the guy!
Thank you for this post, for sharing this part of your journey. Two things struck home from your writing today. Am I doing what is needed? This is subtly different that doing what is expected and informs my inquiry. Thank you. And who couldn't use some fizz in the blood. What a wonderful phrase? Lastly, I've glanced at the thought about being born into the end of a world, but today it struck me differently and as worthy of further exploration. It's not a bad thing to be born into the ending of a world, except one becomes imprinted with and embedded into the world as it was when one arrives. That birth word has to be let go in order to welcome the new world - because, yes, the end of one world implies and heralds the beginning, the birth of a new one.
The conviviality extends...
I am in a course with Helen, just commented on Carolines talk with McGilgrist filmed by you, and now am accidentally subscribed to this newsletter... fluidly synchronised...
Thanks for mentioning this song, Jay! Going to listen to it now!
*** edit ***
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juSYLYT-y24
The sky was falling
(Love among the ruins)
Heaven was calling
(Love among the ruins)
When danger crashes
(Love among the ruins)
Rose from the ashes
Like two statues hidden inside ancient rock
We were prayin' for the secrets to unlock
And when the sun had turned its back on us
Oh, in the dark our love kept track of us
Oh, pushed together by the lack of love
Oh, love among the ruins
(Love among the ruins)
The sky was falling
(Love among the ruins)
Heaven was calling
(Love among the ruins)
When danger crashes
(Love among the ruins)
Rose from the ashes
We held each other tightly through our hell of dreams
I still hear the never ending echo of those screams
But it's a life not made for reliving
It's a life that makes your soul forgiving
We sealed our bond from the beginning
Oh, love among the ruins
Aching, affection, vulnerable protection
Falling, captured, crawling, rapture
(Love among the ruins)
The sky was falling
(Love among the ruins)
Heaven was calling
(Love among the ruins)
Oh love, love
Songwriters: Jules Shear, Robert N. Buck, Jerome Stanley Augustyniak, Steven E. Gustafson, Mary Jeanne Ramsey, John C. Lombardo, Dennis Drew. For non-commercial use only.
________
I much prefer the Maniacs with Natalie Merchant as lead vocalist. Her voice was a bit haunting, but very grounded and solid.