SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Category: esoteric psychology

March 31, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Initiation, Mindfulness, Mystery Schools

Reaching Realisation

The purpose of language is to convey meaning. We cannot convey meaning directly because it exists in an invisible mental realm unique to the individual. We all live in slightly different worlds, based on our own experience. As a tribe, society or country, we each agree to subscribe to the inherent values present in that shared group. We use language to pass meaning to … Read More Reaching Realisation

March 10, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Higher Mind, Silent Eye School, spiritual turning around

The ejector-seat of self…(1)

by Steve Tanham

Do we really understand mindfulness? It’s become one of those ‘must do more of that’ sentiments, as though we could press a button on the side of the head. Perhaps the reason for our chagrin is not that we lack diligence, but that we think it’s a chore… Possibly that we don’t feel pulled or compelled from within to practice it? After all, we … Read More The ejector-seat of self…(1)

February 24, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, Egyptian Gods, enneagram, esoteric psychology, Higher Mind, meditation

An Artist named Giselle

by Steve Tanham

Geographically, it’s an unlikely partnership… One person in Victoria, Australia, the other in Cumbria… Giselle Bolotin is an Australian artist, but was born in Europe. She and I have never met, face to face, but have established a good working relationship via the virtual world of the internet. We are collaborating on a set of images to illustrate the Silent Eye’s new ‘Oracle’ deck … Read More An Artist named Giselle

February 17, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Child of Light, Christianity and modern mysticism, Consciousness, Esoteric Meaning of Myth, esoteric psychology, Mystery Schools, Myth

The mystery of the soul-child

by Steve Tanham

One of the most enigmatic mysteries in spirituality is the idea of a ‘soul-child’ – the finding within us of a spiritual figure whose characteristics are those of purity and youthfulness; untainted by the world, yet somehow immature within it… To approach a deeper understanding of this – one beyond the fanciful – we need to consider the words ‘soul’ and ‘child’, and set … Read More The mystery of the soul-child

February 10, 2022 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Love, Photography, Silent Eye School, Spirit, Spirituality

Being being…

by Steve Tanham

I usually write it with a capital: Being. But strictly it is just another noun, so it’s fine as simply being. Except it’s not…because that devalues its importance. Being is the word. Being is the gold ‘hidden in plain sight’ of the alchemists.. They were searchers for the inner nature of Nature. Some of them found it but had to create a language of … Read More Being being…

February 3, 2022 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Mystery Schools, Photography, Silent Eye School

Language: Maker and Destroyer of Worlds

by Steve Tanham

I remember the admonition from decades ago, though I’ve forgotten who wrote it: Admire and beware language, for it frames the mind and blockades the spirit… Bold words; and possibly overstated, until you come to certain stage of your own inner journey and realise how true they are. In general terms, our western languages are predicated on the style of the following sentence: ‘I … Read More Language: Maker and Destroyer of Worlds

January 13, 2022 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Magic, Politics, Politics and Power

Listening – an active magic

by Steve Tanham

We were having dinner at the end of one of our business trips to California. On the next table at the small restaurant were an American couple from Arizona. We struck up a friendly conversation, during which the subject of armed burglary came up. The man expressed surprise that so few of the UK’s homes had guns. He was astonished when I said it … Read More Listening – an active magic

December 16, 2021 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, meditation, Mystery Schools

See what you’re seeing!

by Steve Tanham

It sounds odd, doesn’t it? See what you’re seeing… But we don’t. We do see, but we don’t see what we’re seeing. I’d better explain my terms, here, before it becomes an exercise in Zen paradox – which I want to avoid. There are not only two, but three phases in our act of seeing. The first is the actual biological receiving of the … Read More See what you’re seeing!

December 9, 2021 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology

Two fools on the Hill

by Steve Tanham

Like many who write on psychological or spiritual topics, I often wonder about the nature of time. Does it have an existence or is it solely a product of our interaction with a world that we consider to be ‘out-there’? Out-there is an interesting notion, for it immediately creates an ‘in-here’. What is the content of that? Does it have any substance? One of … Read More Two fools on the Hill

December 7, 2021 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Mystery Schools, Mystical poetry, Photographic techniques, Photography, Poetry, Silent Eye School

The Quiet Places

by Steve Tanham

They live concealed within the ebb and flow of life recycled. That very nature is why they are so hard to find. The extraordinary hidden in plain sight… Their camouflage is the blindness caused by seeing what we saw, before, and not what is before us. A spell so strong, it takes our will to see it, differently. To reach into what seems to … Read More The Quiet Places

November 18, 2021 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Healing, Higher Mind, meditation, Mystery Schools, Photography, Psychology, Silent Eye School, Unconscious

The Size of Life

by Steve Tanham

What size is our life? It’s an odd question, but the kind of challenge that gets us thinking… Does our life have a ‘size’? We can measure it in years elapsed, of course, and that may have a lot to do with how we think we got ‘here’. But that continuity is entirely in our head, and, has little to do with the real … Read More The Size of Life

November 14, 2021 + #Poetry, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Politics and Power, Silent Eye School, Speaking truth to power

Within the mud, that narrow eye…

by Steve Tanham

He died when I was thirteen; but none of us knew his full story, which he refused to glorify. He lied about his age to join the Army. He survived WW1, including the Battle of the Somme, and enlisted again, for WW2. The fact that he was an Irish citizen gifted me an Irish passport, allowing me to have dual citizenship and remain a … Read More Within the mud, that narrow eye…