Follow-Up

OK, so now I know ambergris, rose, hyacinth and musk are mentioned in Baha'i writings...and I'm sure we'll find more mention of fragrance as I explore.

Of course, these mentions are usually when comparing the love of God as sweeter than any fragrance, but one can't help but think that when Baha'u'llah was writing/speaking the message that he used scents as comparisons... so one could assume he thought the scent of rose or flowers beautiful enough to say that divine connection is even more so.

Most musk scents are synthetic these days and this is one case where I'm fine with a synthetic scent over a natural scent as real musk comes from the scent glands of animals. I had the opportunity to smell real musk once. I was in a tiny aromatherapy shop and the owner, well aware of how much I appreciate rare oils, pulled out a small box from the back room...it contained vials of precious oils from her private and not often shared collection. UGGH! That was my reaction to real musk oil from India. How gracious of me. I was honored that she shared, but would never smell it again...so strong and positivly teeming with life-force...you couldn't help but think of the poor animal that was sacrificed for our love of scent. Never again.

I was over on Baha'i Words today and today's passage (?) gave me such peace.

O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants to have loving and tender hearts. Help them to spread, amongst all the nations of the earth, the light of guidance that cometh from the Company on high, Verily, Thou art the Strong, the Powerful, the Mighty, the All-Subduing, the Ever-Giving. Verily, Thou art the generous, the Gentle, the Tender, the Most Bountiful.

~ Abdu’l-Baha

The Gentle/The Tender combined with The Powerful/The Mighty. I love this. I've felt so much peace inside since discovering the Baha'i Faith. I've always felt a bit overwhelmed by my own desire to be tender and loving...it isn't easy because tender and loving people are often mistaken for weak people by those who don't know any better. Though, I must confess that while the words comfort me for who I know I am inside, they are also instructions because let me tell you....I have a fierce temper...and I mean fierce. I was a plate thrower as a teenager and in my twenties, and while I don't throw objects anymore, I still throw tantrums on occasion....very attractive behavior for a 39 year old! :)

It's taken me a long time to realize that I can be tender and gentle without being a doormat or losing my natural exuberance and enthusiasm for life. In the past, I've had a hard time balancing all these parts of me and I know I'm not alone.

I have a show this weekend in Madison...it's tiny and this is a relief. I can relax and have fun...but, for now, it's back into the studio to work away the night.

Thank for your helpful comments everyone.

Other news: I'm planning a trip to nearby Chicago to visit the House of Worship and to have Persian food at Reza's.

Oh, my husband hasn't been that excited about my interest in the faith and in fact, thinks the whole thing is weird (he's not religious at all-so it's not like there's conflict). He reads my studio blog daily, so I was a bit hurt and surprised when after a few entries on this one he said he thought I was way off track and that he probably wouldn't be a loyal reader.

Tonight he called (he's away on business) and said he'd like to pick me up a gift...a book on my new interest...the Baha'i Faith. He asked me for suggestions on what would be a good title for someone new. I said that I had The Prophet's Daughter and The Power of Prayer...he asked me to think about it and let him know.

Any suggestions?

It's funny....we've been together so many years and he's never shown any trace of discomfort with anything I've been interested in...from psychic readings to sacred geometry, so this was such an odd reaction from him. I think his desire to pick out a book on the faith as a gift to me is extra nice considering his feelings about this. He's a Taurus....they don't like change, so we shall see. Perhaps if he sees me becoming a little more tender and loving instead of tantrum-ey he'll get right on board! :)

Sweet-Scented Streams

It's been a busy week in the studio and I'm finally caught up. It feels good. Only one more show of the season and then I have to get cracking on holiday gifts for my family. I took the handmade pledge and with only two exceptions (my brother and husband) my gifts will be handmade this year.

I don't know what will happen next year...or how I'll handle the holidays if I declare, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

I'm excited because I may enroll in this class. I've not been the best steward of my body over the years. I'm better now, but still paying a price...I have a great deal of weight to lose and some bad habits (not sleeping enough) that need to be changed.

I like the idea of pairing my first class with my need for help learning how to respect and tend my body.

I know at this stage, someone visiting this blog may be thinking "Laura, ask not what the Baha'i faith can do for you..." but, this is how I do things...what I can do for the faith will come later.

I immerse myself in the writings and prayers and then find ways to practically apply them to my own life. It's how I learn. If (or when) the time comes, it may be how I share.

I think I've been a little worried with this blog that perhaps my way of coming to understanding may seem fairly self-absorbed and while it may be and perhaps someday I'll reread these entries with a different view, for right now...I learn as I go.

I love taking pleasure in even a line or two of a prayer and then applying it, usually in a very literal way, as a means to opening up understanding of the next line.

For example, this one has lots of references to fragrance..sweet-scented streams, fragrant breezes of Thy joy, essence of the fragrance of Thy beauty...

I used to be a practicing aromatherapist, so anything that mentions scent and fragrance immediately pulls me in. It's like my code language. When I see the words I can't help but to begin to envision ways to use them to help me reflect on what the true meaning of the prayer or meditation is.

In this case, when I read the line "sweet-scented streams" I knew that a fragrant bath was in order and that I should incorporate scents native to Iran/Persia such as marjoram, lime, cardamom and rose into my bath. I knew when I read (and reread) the meditation, that I'd create an environment very much suited to my kind of learning.

I know that Baha'is are all over the world, but because I'm new to this, I find myself interested in Persia (I think it annoys my mother that I don't say Iran, but everything in reference to the culture of Iran is still called Persian...or so it seems).

I already knew about Ibn Sina (Avicenna) from my studies on essential oil distillation, so it's fun to make connections and I knew I just had to include rose otto in my bath...rose has always been a favorite whether it's Bulgarian or Turkish and scents like rose, marjoram and lime would have most certainly been familiar to Baha'u'llah as they were used in the medicine and cuisine of his time and region.

So, as I settle into the tub and into my reading more in-depth, I feel somehow connected by the scents and I'm tending my body at the same time.

Scents have the power to relax us or stimulate us...they have a profound and scientifically proven effect on the limbic system of the brain and for me, the fragrance from plants and flowers connects me to the spiritual world as well. We all find our own way to navigate learning and understanding the words of Baha'u'llah and his reference to fragrance is mine.

The connection made through fragrance makes it easier for me to work my way through other words/sections that I don't understand.

Just a tip for those of you who may like taking warm baths with pure essential oils (the life-force of plants), if you mix just a few drops with honey the essential oils will disperse into your bathwater with ease...and always be careful...some oils are too strong to use more than a drop or two.

Does anyone know if there is a list of specific flowers and spices that might be referenced (if any) in Baha'i writings? I'd love to know...

p.s. I didn't have any pictures of streams, so in went a picture from my rose bush...it's a tea rose. :)...Aghaaha! Please don't let my bad sense of humor keep you from coming back.

p.s. double s: I just discovered this poem by Persian poet Hafiz...it's not truly related, but it is beautiful and we can all relate to the fear and subsequent reward of opening.

How
Did the rose
Ever open its heart

And give this world
All its
Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light
Against its
Being,

Otherwise,
We all remain

Too

Frightened

-Hafiz

Shining Lamps & Brilliant Stars

All my life I've been drawn to candles and firelight. I've always liked it when people refer to "the light within" or the "spark of life" in a person. To me, the biggest compliment someone can pay me is to say that I'm glowing or look so happy I'm shining.

When I lived in Chicago, a good friend of mine got me into novena candles or 7-day candles (the larger ones burn for seven days straight). I never used them to manifest anything material or to bring me love as some do, but over the past twenty years or so, they've become a regular fixture in my life.

I almost always choose white or solid colors as opposed to ones with saints or religious icons imprinted on them. They're about $1.50 at most ethnic grocery stores and you can even find shorter ones (called Shabbat candles) in the Kosher section of almost any store. They can also be found in New Age bookstores, but are usually much more expensive.

I set them at various places around my house and I always feel a little tickle of pleasure as I walk into a room and see a soft familiar glow in the corner.

Another love is starlight and the same thing applies...I like to think of myself (on good days) as a shining star and truly believe we are drawn to one another because of the glowing lights of our spirits as we make our way through the world...sometimes people see us and sometimes they don't, but each person has their own way of glowing.

Using the word brilliant to describe light has also been something I've done as long as I can remember. Imagine my joy when I discovered this prayer:

"Oh God, guide me, protect me...make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star.
Thou art the mighty and the powerful."
Abdu'l Baha

Saying this ones makes my heart sing and even though it is usually difficult for me to think in terms that anyone or anything could be mighty and powerful without being oppressive, I have no problems saying this one at all. I so want to be a shining lamp and a brilliant star!!!

In the past, I've avoided any religious prayers that referred to God in that way. I guess you could say that I've got problems being humbled and feeling controlled...however, there is something about the Baha'i faith that is shifting this for me and allowing me to feel the words as opposed to just reading them and rejecting them.

I'm also excited about learning more about the manifestations of God prior to Baha'u'llah...I'm going to start with Zoroaster and while I know that there isn't fire worship, fire does play a part and I find this exciting.

My new thing is to take a bath each night by candlelight while reading The Prophet's Daughter by Janet A. Khan. It's interesting, but I have to train myself for this kind of reading/studying...I haven't done it in awhile.

I mentioned in another post that I am looking forward to some of the Baha'i celebrations...and I have to admit that while I know the prayers are more important than the food and cheer, that I look forward to making things that I haven't made before.

Rosewater Pistachio candies for example (Gaz). Of course I know there is no such thing as traditional Baha'i food, but you'd be hard pressed to read a lot about the Baha'i faith and not find mentions of thing like Persian rice and cookies at feasts. Count me in!

I love to cook and bake and while I'm right in the middle of a detox and can't have any sugar or grains (or dairy) I look forward to the time when I can bring platters (I like overkill) of treats to various events.

Which reminds me...I have not begun to explore my local community for study groups yet. I will do that in time. For the short term, I'm just enjoying reading and learning on my own...and with your comments and messages of course!

Here's a tutorial I found for the Persian candy Gaz...There is a short sponsor message ahead of it, but it's fun to watch and I love Natasha Levitan's gentle nature. By the way, she also makes an apple face cream!

Refresh And Gladden My Spirit

Artwork courtesy of Gary E. Stewart

I have so much to share of what I've discovered about the Baha'i Faith that I barely know where to begin or even when to begin since I'm kind of busy preparing for what should be a busy time of year in the studio.

I do want to write this quick post about how the Baha'i Faith doesn't have any food mandates or rules about food.

The idea being that food mandates such as, "Well, we don't eat this or that ..." create separation from one another. Of course, there is respect for religions that do have mandates, but in the Baha'i Faith they (we?) work to create a sense of oneness and avoid things which simply by their nature cause separateness, even if they seem benign.

It goes much deeper than this, but I find this one aspect interesting because one of the first things I wondered when I learned of the faith was what rules regarding diet might I have to follow if I become a Baha'i.

There aren't any (other than the fasting times).

Interestingly enough, there's also guidance on how sleeping and resting is absolutely essential. I'm notorious for making sleep a low priority and kind of like the idea of having to rest because "Hey, I'm got orders from God!" However, in all seriousness, the guidance is less about your health as an individual and more about needing to be rested and stay clear for God.

I'm not seeking religion as a means to be guilted into caring for my physical body, but I like that there are teachings (still not sure what to call them) about tending the body. I have neglected my body and frankly, need a little extra encouragement on why self-care is important.

I wrote something to a friend awhile ago about how I'm unsure about various aspects of the faith, but how I want to understand and yet, I also want to be understood. I don't know if I mean by the people in faith or by God. I'm seeing that this may not (at my early stages) be the perfect religion (view of God), but I'm giving it a fair shot and I want to be given a fair shot in return even though I'm not a perfect follower...Odd, I don't want to be judged just as I don't want to pass judgment on something I don't fully understand yet. I almost don't know what that means.

Before I close...this is my favorite Baha'i prayer...I say it three times a day.

Oh God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my power. I lay all my affairs in thy hand. Thou art my guide and refuge. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to thee, O Lord.

Abdu'l-Bahá

I'm not in a twelve-step program, but know the lingo and this reminds me of when I've heard people say, "turn it over to God" or "let go and let God".

At least that's what I get out of this line, "I lay all my affairs in thy hand"...though it's deeper to me because it isn't just about resting troubles in God's hands and hoping for a good outcome, it's about putting all affairs (good, bad or ugly) in God's hand or the hand of the Universe and being peaceful in doing so.

I like the line, "Thou art my guide and refuge" because it makes me feel like no one is asking me to give up control...just to come in and be part of the team. That there is guidance to be offered, but it's a creative partnership. Plus, I love the word refuge...it makes me think of safety and peace. Kind of like comfort is available too. Like suddenly realizing you have a best friend you never knew you had before and this friend has nothing personal in his or her way that could ever interfere with wanting the best for you...no matter what.