keys of life

 

THIS  HAS  BEEN  a weekend for soul-searching. I have had a lot going in my life the past few years and it's good to take some time for quiet contemplation. Sometimes life forces you to do such a thing. It's far too easy to get distracted by all the stuff of everyday life, which makes one forget to attend to the stuff of life that really matters—what's inside. It's scary to be alone with yourself sometimes, but a more meditative approach to life seems to always help me find direction. The older I get, the easier it is to find this kind of silence it seems. Maybe I've had enough practice. Maybe it's like riding a bike. Or finding a key to turn:

THE  INCREDIBLY  beautiful keys in the photo (above) were found at a crafts supply store several months ago (part of the aptly-named idea-ology line by Tim Holtz (a new discovery of amazing products). Being constantly on the lookout for new ways to express the decorated tree, I thought they would make beautiful ornaments by themselves or in some sort of wire construction—like an ornament I bought years ago which encased an old key within a crudely-made wire "globe." (I need to find it!). Although that's how these keys are marketed, they're not the usual scrapbooker fare. They have a heft and construction just like real keys. I loved them for the "engraved" words that associate with beautifully rendered shapes from the past. Who knows what they will become from here. I guess that's the point.

IN  THINKING  about how to use these keys (both literally and figuratively), I associated them with a book that my cousin Angela found at an antique store a few years ago and shared with me. I loved it so much that I searched for one and found a copy of my own on Ebay. The book (literary essay) is titled As a Man Thinketh by James Allen and was first published in 1902. I had never heard of it before, but it is one of those timeless jewels that you'll want to read and re-read (my copy is hand-sized and only 76 pages). You can read a copy online, but I'm a bit old-fashioned and like to have a book to hold in my hand—especially the beautiful copy I found.

A PHILOSOPHY  like James Allen's became possible when liberal Protestantism discarded the stern dogma that man is sinful by nature, substituting instead an optimistic belief in man's innate goodness and divine rationality. This reversal of doctrine was one of the great revolutions of the 19th Century. It was a move toward a reconciliation of science and religion, which is still in hot debate even today. As A Man Thinketh was Allen's second book of nineteen he wrote and was his most concise and eloquent work that best embodied his thought. The book opens with this statement:

Mind is the Master-power that moulds and makes,

And Man is Mind, and evermore he takes

The tool of Thought, and, shaping what he wills,

Brings forth a thousand joys, a thousand ills:—

He thinks in secret, and it comes to pass:

Environment is but his looking-glass.

TO  GIVE a broader idea of the infinitely quotable Mr. Allen, I have found quotes from him that pertain to the words on the seven keys in the photo above:

MEMORY: We clothe events with the drapery of our own thoughts. . . .

LOVE: And you . . . will realize the Vision (not the idle wish) of your heart, be it base or beautiful, or a mixture of both, for you will gravitate toward that which you, secretly, most love.

SECRET: And herein lies the secret of true power. Learn, by constant practice, how to husband your resources, and concentrate them, at any moment, upon a given point.

DREAMS: The greatest achievement was at first and for a time a dream. The oak sleeps in the acorn; the bird waits in the egg; and in the highest vision of the soul a waking angel stirs. Dreams are the seedlings of realities.

LIFE: Our life is what our thoughts make it. A man will find that as he alters his thoughts toward things and other people, things and other people will alter towards him.

HEART: The vision that you glorify in your mind, the Ideal that you enthrone in your heart — this you will build your life by, this you will become.

JOURNEY: Whatever your present environment may be, you will fall, remain, or rise with your thoughts, your Vision, your Ideal. You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration.

WORD KEYS | (Top) These seven "word keys" from the Tim Holtz idea-ology line were a great find at Michaels craft store. The keys are displayed on the beautiful "leopard spot" marbleized endpapers binding my copy of James Allen's 1902 literary tome As a Man Thinketh.

LITERARY CLASSIC | (Middle and bottom) My vintage copy of As a Man Thinketh was found on Ebay and is exquisitely bound in green silk cloth back and corners with "leopard spot" marbleized endpapers with handset type inside—a beautiful addition to my treasured books. Published in 1908 by The Progress Company, Chicago.

©2010 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

photography and styling by Darryl Moland 

 

faith, hope, love and luck

WHEN I mentioned photographing the four leaf clovers Jon and I found last year, my Irish friend Patrick Brady was quick to say, "not to nitpick, but shamrocks only have three leaves. Saint Patrick used the shamrock to teach the Pagans about the Holy Trinity." I guess I've never really made that distinction, so I won't dispute my good friend, or push my luck. After all, he challenged me to create the St. Patrick's Day tree you see here. He's been very supportive of my blogging efforts. And this is my way of returning the favor while celebrating his Irish heritage along with him. Whether Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland, or all the Pagans, it matters not—I prefer not to make comparisons. Snakes can be as beneficial as a good Pagan in Mother Nature's mix.

IT IS SAID that the four leaves of a lucky clover stand for faith, hope, love and luck. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit represented by a three leaf clover (or shamrock) could also use a little luck in my book—just as any concept of faith—it's always inherent in the very nature of believing in the supernatural. It is a leap of faith (and a little luck) that helps one resolve any set of beliefs. Most Pagan traditions have been disguised in subsequent Christian traditions. Four leaf clovers were Celtic charms predating Christianity and believed to be potent against malevolent spirits. This is how the power to bring good luck comes into play. It is obvious that the rarest form of clovers has four leaves. So, I'll leave my luck at that.

THE  IRISH  FLAG colors of green, white and orange together are quite cheerful. I've seen a few pop up in the neighborhood in the last few days and think how fresh they look against the pale blue/gray of the spring sky. With this Saint Patrick's Day tree, I wanted to use this vibrant color combination in full. And I usually prefer to leave the conical shape of an evergreen tree for the winter holidays. 

THE SEVEN sacred trees of the Irish culture are oak, hazel, apple, yew, ash, holly and pine. Each clan of Ireland centered around such a Chieftain tree totem. The forests were revered because they gave so much sustenance, while supporting the Old Irish in mind, body and spirit. It's no wonder they are so rooted in the Irish psyche. Because of this, I wanted a tree that that formed an iconic shape most commonly thought of with such trees, and I was lucky enough to find one that I could modify. 

THE HISTORY of ancient Ireland is steeped in the lore of supernatural beings and home to ancient artifacts and structures dating back to 3100 B.C., Ireland's prehistoric passage-tombs are in the historical realm of England's Stonehenge or even the Egyptian pyramids. So it seems there's a lot more Irish culture to explore than the Saint Patrick's Day holiday. This only scratches the surface of the rich history of Ireland. I'll need lots of hope, faith, love and luck to find out more and continue my quest to bring historical relevance to the art of the decorated tree.

COLORS OF THE CLAN | (Above, right) This tree is composed using a wire tree made "ancient" from Pier One Imports. I reshaped this tree sold as an Easter tree, by brushing off most of the glitter and straightening out the curled stems. The cylindrical ornaments representing the Irish flag are from Department 56 and the small green ornaments tied with thin orange ribbon were found at Marshalls and on Ebay. The glass shamrock ornament hanging from the table drawer pull is a KD Vintage design from Bayberry Cove. At the base of the tree lies a stem of Bells of Ireland tied with a kelly green ribbon.

IRISH SYMBOLS | (Above, left) The glass shamrock ornaments are by KD Vintage and from Bayberry Cove. The two small four leaf clover ornaments and indent ornament (a four leaf clover within the indent and shamrock design glittered on the exterior) were found on Ebay. The small reproductions of Saint Patrick's postcards were bought from Bayberry Cove and are from the Annie Schickel collection.

GOOD LUCK CHARMS | (Right) These four leaf clovers found by Jon and I last year during a streak of good luck (in close succession), were pressed in a hiker's flower press from Martha Stewart's defunct Martha by Mail catalog.

©2010 DARRYL MOLAND | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 photography and styling by Darryl Moland