March of the Muses: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Credit: VSchagow, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
We currently sit in between the Equinox (20 March), a seasonal shift, and two religious holidays, both of which connect to themes of Cosmic Intention unfolding and an awareness of true identity: Purim (23 - 24 March) and Palm Sunday (24 March).
Metaphorically we have entered a special, symbolic space (a place within our consciousness) where it is conceivable to let go of an old version of ourself and allow a fresh perspective of the possible to emerge.
Consider the following quote from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German intellectual and poetic omnivore:
“A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart.”
— Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust, First Part
The German original reads: Ein jeder sieht, was er im Herzen trägt. So, a more literal translation is: Each one sees what he carries in his heart.
The character who says this line is known as the clown / comic / jester, one of three characters in the play’s prelude. The other two characters are the director and the artist / poet. All three are having a discussion about what makes a good play: factors that make for a commercial success: action and novelty (director) or its artistry and timeless values (artist). The clown argues that the two sets of goals are not opposed.
Furthermore, a person cannot control how his work (or, by extension, his life) will be received and interpreted by others. A person’s job is to clarify what is in his heart, for it is through this clarity that the spontaneous emerges from the eternal. This clarity is known as Divine Timing!
Exercise: 22 through 28 March
This week consider celebrating the polarities (not binaries) of novelty and timelessness in your life. Make a note of when each appears in your life. Bonus points if they appear at the same instant or in the same event.