Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
We continue our exploration of space, place and sacred paradox by considering the religious symbolism and themes of Chinese landscape (shan-shui) painting. Taoist themes of immortality, wise innocence, active non-action and the harmony of the natural world find their expression in the wild mountainous landscapes of artists through the centuries. We delve into the history, symbols and methods of painting as an example of crafting sacred space through which wandering sages seek enlightenment.
Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
We explore the paradox of sacred space and our relationship with holiness through the places that we set aside for reverence and usefulness. Drawing on parallels with art and the philosophy of aesthetics, we delve into the process of “framing” as a way of highlighting the spiritual aspects of the ordinary world around us. What does it mean to say that “everything is sacred”? How does our relationship change when we transform space into place? We look at the profound ways that our pattern-seeking brains shape our understanding of sacred space in religious and secular ritual.
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Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
In Episode 201 – Water Connects Us, we launch our new season’s theme: relationship and interconnection. Throughout this season we’ll be exploring our deep bonds with the natural world that gave birth to us and sustains us. We’ll take a deeper look at how we form relationships, how we connect to particular places, how we experience specific times in our lives, and what shapes our experiences. In nature-centered spirituality, water is both a metaphor for our deep interconnection, and a physical and spiritual example of it. In this episode we follow the trials and tribulations of a drop of the Colorado River, and visit the caffeine-laced shores of the Pacific Northwest; we marvel at underwater sculpture gardens and take a close look at the health of our oceans, as we explore our complex relationship with the waters of the Earth. In our Pro extension, we go deeper into the spiritual significance of water in Hinduism and how our relationship with purity shapes our expressions of religious devotion.
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Faith, Fern and Compass Pro: (Protected Content)
This week, we look at the earth beneath our feet — the landscape and the rocks themselves that form the foundations of our lives. We get intimate with stones and do some earth-shattering geology, we take a look at artists bringing their work back down to earth, and we explore that age-old question of nature versus nurture to discover just how deep environmental influences run. In our Pro extension, we guide our conversation to the inner realms, exploring landscapes of the imagination and the inner world of spirit.
Each week, co-hosts Alison Leigh Lilly and Jeff Lilly invite you to join them as they explore the challenges of nature spirituality in the digital age through ecology, art, politics and interfaith conversation. Become part of a growing community of spiritual seekers and creative contemplatives finding guidance in the wellsprings of personal experience, soulful relationship and the dark green tones of earth-centered spiritual practice.
