SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Category: Silent Eye School

July 30, 2020 + #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, People power, Politics and Power, Silent Eye School, Speaking truth to power, Spirituality

Tango in the key of sorry

by Steve Tanham

As the years pass, I continue to wonder at the marvel of human communication, and the sadness of how little we use its potential… The world appears to be full of conflict and strife. But much of it is happening at the psychological level. The Trump era in America and the Brexit ‘civil war’ in the UK were both fuelled by similar (if not … Read More Tango in the key of sorry

July 9, 2020 + #Silenti, Child of Light, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Lake District, Photography, Silent Eye School, Soul, Spirituality, The Beloved

The Summer Within

by Steve Tanham

When I was a young boy, a favourite uncle, who was quite old, said to me, “You always feel young, inside, you know…” It’s a sentiment I’ve heard many times. I knew it to be true – from the look in the eyes of those who said it, despite the lines of time on their faces. But now, to experience it in my sixties, … Read More The Summer Within

June 11, 2020 + #Silenti, Consciousness, enneagram, esoteric psychology, Incarnation, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

The Mysterious Self

by Steve Tanham

One of the most wonderful elements of being Human is the sense of self; yet there is great confusion as to what the ‘self’ really is… even whether it exists at all. Something harvests the experiences of each day yet declares itself separate from them. This accumulation is deemed to be a living entity – the ‘me’ – resplendent with a memory of having … Read More The Mysterious Self

June 4, 2020 + Consciousness, esoteric psychology, I Ching, Oracles, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

Divination – Art or Science? (3) : The Blind Archer

by Steve Tanham

The archer stands before our target. His skill is deadly; he never misses, but there’s a catch: he’s also blind… and he never speaks, except with his arrows. No-one knows how he does what he does, but if you ask him a question, he will fire his arrow at the target. The place where the arrow lands is his answer to your question… The … Read More Divination – Art or Science? (3) : The Blind Archer

May 28, 2020 + Consciousness, esoteric psychology, I Ching, Oracles, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

Divination – Art or Science? (2) : An Old Flame

by Steve Tanham

The man, still distinguished though his hair and moustache were now silver, sat before the fire. Once more, he was alone in his home by the lake. Before him, the old kettle, as black with age as he was white, rattled on the small iron grate beneath it. The flames from the burning wood flickered up around its sides and the noise from within … Read More Divination – Art or Science? (2) : An Old Flame

May 26, 2020 + #ShortWrytz, nature, Photography, Places and Prose, Seasons of the year, Silent Eye School, Solar Year, Spirituality

#ShortWrytz : Fractal Loving

by Steve Tanham

I confess, I’m in love with the sky… A strange opening to a blog post, I know, but, when I came to think about my photographic relationship with the sky, it was simply one of love. “Look up!” The admonition was from Sue Vincent, one of my fellow Directors of the Silent Eye, when talking about churches and what lies above the normal eye-level. … Read More #ShortWrytz : Fractal Loving

May 21, 2020 + Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Oracles, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

Divination – Art or Science? (1)

by Steve Tanham

For as long as there have been humans on Earth, we have sought to find answers. Wise women and wise men have been cherished throughout history for their ability to throw ‘light’ on complex problems and situations. In our modern age, more people than ever find at least comfort and, often, guidance in some kind of fortune telling. My grandmother used to read tea … Read More Divination – Art or Science? (1)

May 14, 2020 + Consciousness, esoteric psychology, I Ching, Oracles, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

The Old One and the Gatekeeper (3): non-action

by Steve Tanham

37 The Dao abides in non-action but there is nothing it does not do.When the leaders abide,The myriad of things transform by itself;Transformed yet desire to act,I lead the community by not naming the simplicity of things;Without naming the simplicity of things, thus lead to no desire;Without desire, with tranquility,The world correct by itself. ——- The above is chapter 37 of Lao Tzu’s Book … Read More The Old One and the Gatekeeper (3): non-action

May 7, 2020 + Consciousness, esoteric psychology, I Ching, Oracles, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

The Old One and the Gatekeeper (2)

by Steve Tanham

The story of the Old One and the Gatekeeper told in Part One may be just that – a story. Or it may be the truth, turned into legend. Classical Chinese history places Lao Tzu as a 6th century BC contemporary of Confucius, and there are reliable records of their meetings. They were said to have great respect for each other’s work. But, beyond … Read More The Old One and the Gatekeeper (2)

May 5, 2020 + #ShortWrytz, nature, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose, Seasons of the year, Silent Eye School, Solar Year, Spirituality

#ShortWrytz : The Time-Capsule

by Steve Tanham

I’ve written about it, before. The Saltpetre is a gunpowder store that was used to house the produce of the local gunpowder factory by the river Kent. The ‘black powder’ as it used to be called, was brought up through the village, slowly, by horse and cart – the cart having dressed wheels to help prevent sparks. There were many deaths in the village … Read More #ShortWrytz : The Time-Capsule

April 30, 2020 + Consciousness, esoteric psychology, I Ching, Oracles, Silent Eye School, Spirituality

The Old One and the Gatekeeper

by Steve Tanham

The Old One crested the rise in the road and turned to look back at the land he had loved. If all went to plan, it would be the last time he saw his home. The breeze that should have been summer-warm was cold and frigid, yet carried the warm stink of corruption. He could no longer breathe its air. He had to leave; … Read More The Old One and the Gatekeeper

April 23, 2020 + #Silenti, Consciousness, Druids, English Lake District, Lake District, Silent Eye School

Marking the Horizon

by Steve Tanham

Our garden is south-facing, which is lovely when the sun shines, as we benefit from its rays through most of the day. I’ve begun to write about the history of our ‘gunpowder’ village of Sedgwick in other posts. The old (drained) canal bed that runs through our garden has been a challenge to incorporate into a coherent design, but, a decade on, we seem … Read More Marking the Horizon