Wisdom

Wisdom

Wisdom!  Wow!  I made it to the end of the seven qualities recommended by the ancient Hindus and described by Manly Hall in WORDS TO THE WISE.

And every time I look at her, I am amazed. Of course you won't understand the electrical current around her head until I tell you what Manly Hall says in another of his works:  LECTURES ON ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY.

In Chapter 14, he talks about how inadequate words are to describe intuitive knowledge. Science, he says can only deal with the physical world, the subtle world can't be measured by scientific means, nor described using words.

The Ancients developed a way to convey knowledge to those who were being initiated into the Mystery Schools, thus:  The Masters activated a "mysterious electric fluid" as the disciples gathered about him (in our case her).  The hierophant is seated in repose while all around his head this electrical fluid flows out and those who are listening, as pictured in the Samothracian carvings and figures have their hair standing on end "as though caused by a current of electrical energy, in each instance flowing away from the central figure from whom the current emanates."

This current stimulated "certain rational faculties in the inner natures of the disciples." who were then able to sense, feel, or intuitively grasp the knowledge that was being communicated to them without the use of words.

So, my image of the faceless woman representing Wisdom,  has these emanations coming from around her head, radiating knowledge to those who seek it, without words.

Charity

Charity

Charity?  You say.  How can this image represent "charity"?

Because I adore what Manly Hall says about Charity in WORDS TO THE WISE:  "We must not only give of what we have, but of what we are."

Although some women now have material wealth to give, traditionally women have been able to give only "of what they are."

It seems to me that this gift has too long gone unrecognized.  Whenever a woman spends time, money and energy making herself beautiful for others, that is one of the most precious gifts she can offer.

Hall says later in the another work, "Beauty is a soul quality, and like the soul is visible only in its tincturing effect upon its immediate environment."

And again, "When we love the beautiful as we now love the dollar, we shall have a great and enduring civilization."

I am aware that some women are capable of using their ability to be an incarnation of Venus to manipulate others, but when it is done in the spirit of "charity" of giving, of giving of yourself to whoever has eyes to see, it is certainly a quality to be cultivated.

Patience

Patience

"Patience is not only willingness to wait; it is also indifference in a sense, to the time element in accomplishment."  (Manly P. Hall)

And it has been and still is "my life lesson."  When I was just a little thing, I had a great aunt who adored me, and tried to fulfill my every wish.  But she used to shake her head and say, "Sandra, Sandra, you are going to have to learn to wait."

And learn to wait I have.

Frye, my male analyst in Zurich, said of himself, "I may not be the best dream interpreter in Zurich, but I have one quality that always holds me in good stead.  I know how to wait."

And he did.

Somehow, though I think it gets easier with age.  As do most of these seven qualities.

I was showing these watercolors to one of my grandsons, who is himself a photographer and a painter.  When he got to "Detachment,"  he said,  "Detachment, is that a virtue?"

"You'll understand when you get older," I said.

And he willl.

P. S.  Waiting it much easier with a big hat on.

Courage

Courage

What else does it take except courage for a woman to put on her work day clothes and go out into the world to earn her own living.

When I think it has only been a little over 100 years, after the First World War, that women have even had the opportunity to earn their own living, I am amazed at the strides women have made.

Being smaller in size than most men and certainly unequalled to them in physical strength, women must trust that, indeed, we live in a civilized world where most men have subdued their animal instincts.  That a woman can walk down the street without being accosted.  That she can stand up for herself verbally, without being physically subdued.

Yes, it takes a lot of courage to dress your feminine nature up so that the world, instead of perceiving your vulnerability, will respond to your competence, your skills, your intelligence.

Masculine energy must be civilized in order for women to even conceive such a thing is possible.

As a culture, we have come a long way down that road to civilization.  But, somehow, it feels like we are losing ground these days, with all the shootings. Masculine energy is certainly on a rampage.

Do any of us know what that's all about? Certainly not I.  And does it have anything at all to do with women or the feminine or feminine energy?

Harmony

Harmony

According to Manly Hall's WORDS TO THE WISE, "harmony" is one of the seven requisites of perfection.

"Harmony is the beautifying of action, the invoking of an entirely constructive and cooperative mood.

Fashion seems to me to be almost totally about harmony.  Harmony of colors, of textures, of proportion, etc.

That's why I chose this image of a woman in an Armani suit and hat as the personification of "Harmony."

Doing a watercolor, photographing it, manipulating the image in the software, and then using the computer software to turn it back into a watercolor is a fascinating process.

I never can tell what I'm going to get.   So, when I push the button that says "watercolor," I wait with baited breath to see what happens.

This one was a big surprise and a great success -- except for the white blob on her chin.  I think that appeared because I darkened all her skin except for that blob on her chin.  It was barely noticeable in the image before I turned it into a watercolor.  Now it seems to be the most prominent thing.

Oh, well. all of my watercolors seem to have one flaw.  And my eye goes to it immediately.

Contemplation

Contemplation

This is the second in a series of watercolors I am going to do of faceless woman to illustrate Manly P. Hall's "Seven Requisites of Perfection," in WORDS TO THE WISE.

These seven requisites are the rules and regulations of personal conduct indispensable to thephilosophis life as described by the initiate philosophers of India.  They are called, in Hindu, the Paramitas.

The last post of the "Woman in Violet" is going to be called "Detachment."

Todays' image, "Woman in Fox Fur" will be "Contemplation."

Here is the same image as a watercolor in BeFunky, but I think parts of it are too washed out.

Detachment - Water Color in BeFunky

And here is "The Woman in Violet" turned into a watercolor on BeFunky.

So, we have an original watercolor; a photograph enhanced; and finally the enhanced photograph returned to a watercolor on the computer.

Look at how much lighter this one is, especially in the background.

Two very different images.

Detachment

Woman in Violet

Here is my -- one of my -- first attempts at using watercolors and PicMonkey (who, by the way, is now charging for "upgrades."  YUCK) to dabble in what is called "fashion illustration."

Of course, I am using ideas from other sources just now.  but making them my own.

I'm still not very fast, more or less still tedious, but it is my hope that with practice I will get better and faster and more spontaneous.

We'll see.  I'm such a dilettante.  Some things hold and some things don't.

After Reading Vicki Archer's Sense or Sentimentality

What runs our lives?  Reason or Feeling

Enjoyed reading Vicki Archer's "French Essense" this morning where she talks about buying Christmas tree ornaments in Paris and carrying them to London -- with all that entails -- to help her daughter decorate her first Christmas tree in her very own apartment.

She talks about how she told herself over and over, "We have enough ornaments. Don't buy any more."  But she did and then adds:

"Does anyone ever listen to themselves?"

And then answers herself:

"Not me."

This is such a characteristic conversation that women, maybe men, too, have with themselves.

It is my belief that this is "Reason" trying to convince "Feeling."

Most people like to think that reason runs their lives, but some people know better.

I seem to make my decisions based on feeling and then, if I bother at all, go back later and make up a reason for it.

And just think what she would have missed if she had listened to reason.  It is heart warming to read the description of how she and her grown daughter decorated that first Christmas tree, covered in glitter and surrounded by paper and boxes.

Here's the link, read it for yourself.  http://vickiarcher.com/