SteveTanham – writing, mysticism, photography, poetry, friends

Category: #Silent Eye

November 17, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Mindfulness, Mystery Schools, Psychology, Silent Eye School

Representing the Invisible

by Steve Tanham

For this you were called, created, formed and made… The human mind has always sought to represent the invisible… A feeling might be represented by high art, such as Michelangelo’s marble sculpture ‘Pietà’, in St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City. To stand before the Pieta sculpture is to be drawn into the emotion of Christ’s mother, holding the crucified body of her son, Jesus Christ. … Read More Representing the Invisible

November 3, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, landscapes, Photographic techniques, Photography

Homage to Hopper by roadlight

by Steve Tanham

One of my favourite artists is the American Edward Hopper. His ‘Nighthawks’ is a study in late-night loneliness, set in a bar/diner whose light is a stark and emotional contrast to the isolating darkness outside. He also painted isolated and often abandoned scenes, such as outdated petrol (gas) stations; again with a very ‘still’ emotional fascination. The figures within the bar still have barriers: … Read More Homage to Hopper by roadlight

November 1, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, humour, Photography, Psychology

Country Girl?

by Steve Tanham

It’s a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash, written in 1970 by their new band member Neil Young, for the best-selling album Déjà Vu; the event that propelled them to achieve what the music world described as ‘supergroup’ status. Link. https://youtu.be/pWMyLDia6R0 It was a transformative moment for a sixteen year old boy-man who had just been bought the album as a Christmas present… But … Read More Country Girl?

October 20, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Higher Mind, Mindfulness, Photography

Mind – Mover of the Soul (3) Seeing Pi and finding your birthday…

by Steve Tanham

One of the most important things we do with our minds is to learn, yet we seldom ask: how do we learn things, and is it a single process? How do we learn things, and is it a single process? How do we learn things? We have to be careful to define what we mean by learning. The child or young student gains praise … Read More Mind – Mover of the Soul (3) Seeing Pi and finding your birthday…

October 18, 2022 + #Humour, #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Ancient Sacred Sites, Consciousness, English Lake District, Lake District, Photographic techniques, Photography, Travel and people

Cartmel, anarchy and the perfect morning…

by Steve Tanham

The Cumbrian village of Cartmel is most famous for its racecourse, but it is difficult to find any part of it that is not also beautiful or at least interesting. There are also examples here of innovative responses to hard times… Something we all need to take note of. Cartmel lies two miles northwest of Grange-over-Sands, on the northern edge of Morecambe Bay, just … Read More Cartmel, anarchy and the perfect morning…

October 16, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Lake District, Mindfulness, Photographic techniques, Photography, Places and Prose

Bardsea Sunset

by Steve Tanham

Just about my favourite shot of October so far. Bardsea is a vast beach a few miles along the coast road from Ulverston. It looks south over Morecambe Bay and is a favourite walk for dog owners. Frisbees can be thrown ‘for miles’! When we returned to the car, the sun was setting and I could see its reflection in one of the pools. … Read More Bardsea Sunset

October 9, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Ancient Landscapes, Consciousness, English Lake District, landscapes, Mindfulness, Photographic techniques, Photography

When colour drains…

by Steve Tanham

There are a few weeks of the year, in the early stages of autumn, when the combination of soft light, pale sun and changing foliage creates quite magical landscapes here in South Lakeland. This is particularly true of the small, quiet lanes on the southern outskirts of Kendal, home to the celebrated ‘basket of eggs’ landscape that marks the final stages of the glacial … Read More When colour drains…

September 29, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, Higher Mind, Initiation, Love, Metanoia, Mindfulness, Mystery Schools, Psychology

Eye, aye and I…

by Steve Tanham

One of the many paradoxes of modern mysticism is that there is no good word to describe the ‘sense of self’ that we all have, but which does not appear to be shareable as meaning. It is as though the real meaning of ‘me’ always slips away when we try to define it. We point to ourselves and say, “Well, it’s just me!” And … Read More Eye, aye and I…

August 9, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, landscapes, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel, Travel and Photography

A Hebridean Diary (6-end) Great Bernera

by Steve Tanham

Our two-week trip, ending in the Hebridean Island of Lewis, was coming to an end. The following morning, we would be on a ferry from Stornoway to Ullapool, then a fast route directly to Inverness, where we could pick up the main A9 to Perth, stopping in a travel motel, before setting off early for Cumbria and home. We decided to spend our last … Read More A Hebridean Diary (6-end) Great Bernera

August 4, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, Consciousness, esoteric psychology, Magic, Mystery Schools, Powers of the Mind

Defining Relationships (1)

by Steve Tanham

We treat the word ‘relationship’ casually. We don’t mean to – we probably don’t know we are dealing with one of the most fundamental parts of our existence. If we could see the full implications of the idea of relationships, we might be better equipped to see how much symbolic ‘gold’ there is in them. To consider this, we should step back and examine … Read More Defining Relationships (1)

July 28, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, landscapes, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel, Travel and Photography

A Hebridean Diary (5) When power is unchecked

by Steve Tanham

From the road that curls around the small hills on the way to the beach at Reef, in the Uig district of Bhaltos, it looks like a large cairn. The second time we drove by we saw the noticeboard and stopped to take a closer look. We climbed up the path to find a beautiful and touching monument on the hilltop, whose design was … Read More A Hebridean Diary (5) When power is unchecked

July 21, 2022 + #Silent Eye, #Silenti, landscapes, Photography, Silent Eye School, Travel, Travel and Photography

A Hebridean Diary (4) The Drowned Lands

by Steve Tanham

We had wondered about the real nature of this landscape. On this our third day on the Hebridean Island of Lewis, we paid a long-anticipated visit to Callanish, the place of the famous stones – though the main site is not a stone circle. There, I came across a sign that perfectly described the rather barren landscape all around us. The sign read: Welcome … Read More A Hebridean Diary (4) The Drowned Lands