SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Month: August 2023

August 31, 2023 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Psychology, Soul, soul in body, Spiritual Enneagram

Nine Keys (9 – final): An emotional reunion

by Steve Tanham

How are we to end this series of posts? Each of these nine has been a glimpse into an aspect of true ‘spiritual’ knowledge … but only that. I’ve comes to trust that the correct alignment of ordinary knowledge will result in it becoming a channel of deeper and truer knowing. That truer knowing is alive and waiting to serve our outer self – … Read More Nine Keys (9 – final): An emotional reunion

August 29, 2023 + #Silenti, Motorcycles, Places and Prose, Travel, Travel and Photography

Girl on a Motorcycle – Part One

by Steve Tanham

My father’s eldest sibling – my Auntie Mary – though hailing from the family hometown of Bolton, Lancashire, married a highly decorated and highly tall (6’4”) Scottish army officer at the end of WW2. In 1946, on the way to begin her new life as the wife of a now Glaswegian police officer, two English serviceman in the same train carriage advised her to … Read More Girl on a Motorcycle – Part One

August 27, 2023 + #Silenti, Lake District, landscapes, nature

Dying back…

by Steve Tanham

Our beloved ash tree, which defines the far end of the garden, is doomed. We have several ash trees around the perimeter of the garden, and they – like all the others in this part of the world – seem destined to be either felled or cut right back to a small spread around the main trunk; the latter being left standing as a … Read More Dying back…

August 24, 2023 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Psychology, Soul, soul in body, Spiritual Enneagram

Nine Keys (8): When experience grows dull

by Steve Tanham

Last Sunday evening, we held our monthly Silent Eye Explorations on Zoom; hosting an international audience for an informal and informative discussion on the subject of the ‘Ways of Knowing’. These are open to all – see the base of this post for details. The content of that 90 minutes was a thorough investigation of what it mean to know, and how we take … Read More Nine Keys (8): When experience grows dull

August 22, 2023 + #Silenti, Consciousness, Photography, Places and Prose, Politics and Power

Sir Grayson Perry : Smash Hits

by Steve Tanham

I’ve been fascinated by the innovative and penetrating social commentary in (Sir) Grayson Perry’s work for many years, and not surprised when he was granted a knighthood, recently. While in Edinburgh for a few days of frantic ‘Fringe’, we decided to also visit the National Galleries’ exhibition of Perry’s work – comprising hundreds of his most famous pieces (many of which have been sold, … Read More Sir Grayson Perry : Smash Hits

August 20, 2023 + #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Consciousness, Photographic techniques, Photography, Travel

Edinburgh Fringe 2023

by Steve Tanham

Our first ‘Fringe’. Three days of hectic dashing from one side of the city to the other to find small or even tiny venues where the hopeful entertainers work their socks off. We loved it… but couldn’t have taken another day. Fabulous drama, incredible live music and acrobatic skills to make you gasp. Our favourite was a street juggler cum knife thrower cum reincarnated … Read More Edinburgh Fringe 2023

August 17, 2023 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Psychology, Soul, soul in body, Spiritual Enneagram

Nine Keys (7): Dying for Love

by Steve Tanham

Inside this new love, die. Your way begins on the other side. Become the sky. Take an axe to the prison wall. Escape. Walk out like someone suddenly born into color. Do it now. You are covered with thick cloud. Slide out the side. Die, and be quiet. Quietness is the surest sign that you have died. Your old life was a frantic running … Read More Nine Keys (7): Dying for Love

August 15, 2023 + #Humour, #MindMovie, Consciousness, English Lake District, landscapes

The bemused dog with the people with the complementary umbrellas

by Steve Tanham

It was all entirely accidental, though no-one would believe me, later. A flock of birds flying low over Derwent Water drew my camera eye away from the colourful couple in front of me, their dogs (one could only assume they were their dogs) barking at them as though they were in charge of the outing and hadn’t approved the new storyboard. I love these … Read More The bemused dog with the people with the complementary umbrellas

August 13, 2023 + #Silenti, Lake District, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose, Short stories

Yard 17

by Steve Tanham

Kendal has a network of old alleyways. I’ve written about them before. They form useful shortcuts across the town. A kind of ancient ‘worm-hole’ is how it feel when you’re striding along one, knowing that you’re shaving precious seconds off the normal time; or sheltered, collar up on the long raincoat, from the cutting wind and rain of a Cumbrian January. Yard 17 is … Read More Yard 17

August 10, 2023 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Psychology, Soul, soul in body, Spiritual Enneagram

Nine Keys (6): An uprising of Self

by Steve Tanham

Our soul – likened here last week to a giant sail – is not the only occupant of our ‘interior’. At the fundamental level of our consciousness is a foundation of Being which is perfect and full of loving and potential… ‘It’ only needs a Soul for its completeness. Normally thought of as part of the soul, this layer of our true Self has … Read More Nine Keys (6): An uprising of Self

August 8, 2023 + #Silenti, Consciousness, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography, Soul, soul in body

Parabolic Spirits

by Steve Tanham

A friend and I were talking about parabolas; those strange curves which take a wide section of incoming light (or other electromagnetic transmissions) and reflect it back to a single point, concentrated. The radio telescope is a good example. The tiny radio waves from distant objects in space are bounced back off the parabolic dish to a ‘collector’. The two of us (on different … Read More Parabolic Spirits

August 6, 2023 + #Phoetry, #Silenti, Lake District, landscapes

Sky like a painting

by Steve Tanham

It’s an effect I often try to achieve and seldom do. But on this occasion… Taken in Sedgwick on our evening dog walk last week. The dark July rain had relented, granting us a few hours of sunshine. The ‘washed’ feel of the landscape seemed to add to the feeling of something painted. And the clouds, well… ©Copyright Stephen Tanham 2023 Stephen Tanham is … Read More Sky like a painting