by Steve Tanham
Today will be the funeral of our dear friend and fellow Director of the Silent Eye, Sue Vincent. Many words have been said over the past two weeks… Today is a simple goodbye for a few family and friends. For those who might wish to know what is happening today, we include, above, the two pages of a simple tri-fold ‘Order of Service’ document, … Read More A Farewell to Sue Vincent
by Steve Tanham
And tomorrow we will gather Within this garden country, rich with life To gaze, inside, upon your memories And tell stories of your laughing fullness ➰ Outside our garden guest-house I found this quiet group Of faded, used-out artefact Held close in tulips’ embrace The whole, sun-wrapped And I thought of you. ➰ ©Stephen Tanham Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye, … Read More And tomorrow…
by Steve Tanham
I think of it as ‘still light’, adapting the idea of still life; a style that originated centuries ago in the world of the painted image, and went on to influence the early years of photography… (240 words. A two-minute read) The big idea of still life is to have an intensity of quietness, whose arrangement may also carry a hidden message; ranging from … Read More Still Light
by Steve Tanham
Our five senses may not be five at all… It turns out we have far more capabilities than we thought… (800 words; a seven-minute read) We all have our favourite concepts of physical capability – breathing, flexibility, strength and such like. But what if the power of our senses extended far beyond what we know? This is not about the historic idea of a … Read More Making sense of it – hidden capabilities
by Steve Tanham
We were sitting on the M6 motorway. The car was stationary, as it had been for the previous thirty minutes. Ahead of us was the next junction, within sight, but closed off. Beyond that there was a wall of standing traffic. The motorway was closed but we – the stranded – were still on it. The fourth ambulance came screaming up the thankfully empty … Read More The Wrong Queue
+ #Silenti, Consciousness, landscapes, nature, Photography, Seasons of the year, Seasons, Four Seasons, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter,
by Steve Tanham
There are some moments when you just know that a seasonal tide is turning. It’s not often that they are capable of being recorded. This morning, I stepped out of the house, carrying the recycling, to find the brightest, most energetic cloud I’ve seen for months. It was ‘climbing up’ the sky behind the larch trees and seemed to be accelerating in a way … Read More Turning Tides
by Steve Tanham
Sue and Stuart moved forward from the start of the Silent Eye to become a formidable writing team, beginning with their book, The Initiate, published in September 2013. In this extract, Sue describes the 2013 ritual birth of the Silent Eye, but through the eyes of an ancient female priestess she felt she knew, psychically. This figure – later named ‘Bratha’, was to be … Read More A Song with Sue Vincent (2) from the eyes of another…
by Steve Tanham
We have this interesting phrase: ‘Making sense of it…’ But we may never stop to think of its origins, or what logic is behind it. (870 words, a five-minute read) There are at least two interpretations of what ‘sense’ means. The first refers to the domain of our five physical senses: sight, hearing touch, smell and taste – all but one of them centred … Read More Making sense of it…
by Steve Tanham
Mystical poetry: 87 words. A one-minute read A blade of grass, a hand, a way To shadows on a path that say There’s truth here to be found ♾ The sky above, so blue The sound of birds so true The kiss of evening’s sun in tree ♾ All say, but not together But when together, shout: Any thing can speak to you ♾ … Read More Any thing
by Steve Tanham
In the near darkness, the woman’s right hand came gently down on my shoulder from behind. It was the signal that she was ready, that we could begin either the bravest or the stupidest thing we’d ever attempted. It was April 2013. Sue Vincent and I were about to sing the opening of a temple ritual drama. Sitting on a small stool in front … Read More A Song with Sue Vincent (1)
+ #Silenti
by Steve Tanham
Sue Vincent passed from this organic life into the world of Being, early this morning. Her partner, Stuart France, was with her, as was her family. She leaves two fine sons and two delightful grandchildren, Hollie and Imogen… and a famous dog named Ani, whose books have outsold anything the rest of us have ever written. Sue was one of the founding Directors of … Read More Sue Vincent, friend and co-creator
by Steve Tanham
When I am old and grey, and Father Time has had his wretched way with all the bits that move no more… I will live in a simple dwelling like this top floor, with endless sea beyond the veranda’s edge, and mountains to the other side, behind the cluttered bookshelf that used to be a windowsill. And Mags will feed me, not because she … Read More Old and grey, and Father Time
