PRAYING TOGETHER

I have read and heard that some friends and acquaintances also organize online prayer and meditation groups for this difficult time. They are good if that can make them feel better. I have personally stopped praying in public since I left the Catholic Church. For me, prayer is an intimate relationship with a harmony that has no face, voice, location or figuration whatsoever; it is an opening to the transcendent that can only be expressed with interior silence. The prayers that the religious have taught us and are read in every mysticism, serve to create that atmosphere that makes us feel the sense of the transcendent beyond any philosophy taught. I believe that even today they can serve to understand that beyond the didactic dictates, there is the voice of the heart and the strength of the feeling that is stimulated by the poetry of the words, if we know how to listen to them and if we find them in ourselves. Thus praying becomes simple and doing it in a group is possible only if the harmony between people manages to create that mystical inspiration that prayers suggest. What their purpose is is indicated by the feeling that can express them, certainly not by the mind that wishes.

THE ANARCHY OF FLOWERS

How can anarchy be controlled? The primordial flow where the reason is lost. Where many fall few have really tried. It is not science, nor speculation, it is from the heart that everyone can be right. It is never too late to say otherwise, it is the fruit of the past, it is just a sunk cost. So don’t wait for disaster, question yourself, find out who you are and then that’s the direction.
Do not look in the dark, it hides nothing, the means and resources are in the open, just find them. And let’s stop with the pity, it’s never too late to “start over”.
We need to remove the heavy burdens and embark on the journey, the road is long so it is inevitable not to lose sight of the goal. Let’s forget about the ego, it is a mirror that alters perception, a crazy mechanism that makes us go wrong.
The true Self is within us, we leave the healing power to ourselves, we are powerful tools of will and persuasion. And if it is true that Thought always dominates, it is really time to teach it and start dreaming, laughing and playing.
At a certain point, changing your lifestyle is a choice, an obligation and a duty. Revolutionize to believe, conquer your orbit and start spinning. Harmony belongs to the Universe and there is no real center, the trick is in balance, we are potentially all in the winner’s chariot. The true Rebel defeats the old Self, only to be reborn and blossom like a flower.

IKEBANA

Ikebana is an ancient practice born as an offering to the gods and over the centuries it has become a real artistic expression.
The Japanese term Ikebana - "Ike" means living and "hana" means flower - refers to the art of floral compositions.
It is an ancient practice that originated in the East around the sixth century AD, but which more precisely found its maximum expression in Japan where in a short time, from an initial offering to the gods, it was transformed into a real mode of expression.
As this is a custom with a profound philosophical and spiritual significance, in the beginning it was practiced only by Buddhist nobles and monks, often on the occasion of the tea ceremony. The first style to develop was the Rikka, where seven elements alternated to create a harmonic composition useful for man to recover an intimate relationship with himself and with the whole world. Later, the Nageire developed, a simpler style, followed by the Seika, similar to both but much less austere.

The goal of the Ikebana is to give space to one's emotionality, bringing one's soul, instinct and aesthetic taste into the composition.
In order to create true works of art, it is important to form and train the discipline through dedication: In fact, the study of colors, shapes, harmony and practice, necessary to obtain an arrangement capable of giving a sense of balance.
These harmonious floral compositions can be made up of different types of flowers, from orchids to hydrangeas, from chrysanthemums to gerberas, from roses to bamboo branches. The main rule for creating an Ikebana composition is to use all elements of an organic nature, whether they are flowers, herbs, branches or leaves. Branches and flowers are thus arranged as to create a triangle: the longer branch called Shin, the most important one, is considered as the element that reaches towards the sky, the shorter branch, the Hikae, symbolizes the earth while the intermediate one, the Soe, represents the man. The floral composition therefore aims to balance Shin, Hikae and Soe in a harmonious way and without too complex elaborations.

IKENOBO SCHOOL - If you intend to approach Ikebana, this is the oldest school in Japan, founded by the monk Senkei Ikenobo in 1462. Objective, not only the aesthetics of the composition but also refinement, simplicity and the representation of one's own sensitivity and spirituality.
There is always a "protagonist" element and a series of "helpers", but never in competition with each other. And a point of view from which to observe (the little flowers at the bottom are often points of entry into the vision). As in other schools, the choice of the vase is an integral part of the work.
Among the oldest of the Ikenobo is the Rikka style, which generally focuses on verticality starting from a stem and brings together all the elements of nature. On closer inspection there are also us, the men. At the base, kenzan is often used, a support to better insert flowers and stems and then let the water flow. Traditionally, these compositions have a small dedicated alcove inside the house: the Tokonoma. The Shoka style is more essential, while a great source of inspiration is the painting of the Rimpa school born in the seventeenth century of which Ikebana today continues to "paint" themes and models in pots.

OHARA SCHOOL - At the heart of Ikebana Ohara is the very strong relationship with nature, the study of its forms, its seasonal rhythms, the growth of its elements. Because the new never completely supplants the old. The infinite variety of compositional forms allows you to express your creativity and sensitivity through different and personal choices, in a combination of traditional styles and the search for more innovative forms.
SOGETSU SCHOOL - In 1927, when it was believed that the practice of Ikebana was now canonized and stable, Sofu Teshigahara founded this school with the motto "everyone can do Ikebana Sogetsu, anytime, anywhere, with any material".
Thus was born freestyle. The compositions are linked to modern art, design, architecture, while maintaining all the classic rules of full-empty or asymmetries. They become three-dimensional and also accommodate elements that do not come from nature (for example, moldable wooden strips, small objects, toys), as long as everything is intimately connected. On the fundamental principle Linea, Massa, Colore, innovation is pursued, in order not to leave Ikebana closed in its world, but to link it to the other arts.
EMPTY and FULL - Alternation is essential. Never be afraid of emptiness: it exists in nature as in Ikebana and is as constructive as a musical pause or a 'but' when we speak.

As far as flowers are concerned, it is never a competition for the "most beautiful". Everyone participates in the result according to their role. But how and how many to choose? For the Ikenobo School, "little is better". The Ohara varies according to the compositional form, but, for example, if in a Rimpa creation you can only use flowers and plants portrayed in the works of the pictorial school.
For Sogetsu, the important thing is the contaminations, so you choose what you need and what you need, together with the right materials.

Harmony with the seasons is one of the fundamental principles of Ikebana: it is always better to prefer what nature is already offering us. Even in winter, a less bursting season than spring, but with a "whispered" beauty. Here then the hellebore and ferns are perfect, but also the evergreen pine with its elegance, the bamboo symbol of tenacity and resilience or the prunusmume, which blooms precisely in these months when everything is asleep, close cousin of the cherry tree and bearer of hope. Among the flowers, the narcissus, the camellia, the rose. The mist gives lightness and refers to the idea of ​​small children. At the base, you can insert the lycopodium moss, so similar to the green of Japanese gardens.

https://youtu.be/2BY_vaWTR_Y

TRAGIC LOVER

What is this agony that I carry inside? Because I keep feeling strong sensations in my chest despite being wrong. How do I get rid of the boulder that I carry inside my heart? How do I erase your tracks from there? How can I eliminate something so tied to my being? How can I free myself from a feeling so mature but immature at the same time? How can a soul like his be so closely linked to mine? How come they only now became aware of each other’s presence? Why, among all possible souls, was it his that approached mine? Maybe because we needed each other. Perhaps because in a past life hers was the only one that matched perfectly with mine and vice versa. Perhaps because the two souls were destined to find themselves also in this life. And that is why, once found, they leave an indelible mark on our inner self. A sign that is destined to remain within us for eternity, even beyond the death of the bodies. Here’s how you can understand that you have found your soul mate, or in any case your other half. If you feel it yours from the start. If you feel it has that something different that only you can see and understand. If you find yourself in that harmony and harmony that emanates when you are together. If you feel light and full when you are together. If you feel that only you can have it and enjoy it. In your heart you know that the person in front of you is the right one, when you know that she is what you are meant to live for. Now tell me, who did you think about reading this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TdKlGk7FVQ