Beauty by Divine Design

23 Feb 2017

Beauty can be aesthetically pleasing to the senses, but just under the surface there may be an ‘essence’ trying to commune with us, lying in wait to be seen and felt by the observer.

As one who has had a long time passion for travel, fashion, art, and architecture, I had decided by my late teens that I wanted to be an interior designer - creating beautiful, inspiring spaces for others and myself. It simply made me happy inside to do so. 

I was always hyper-sensitive to my surrounding environment; the lighting, colours, textures, shapes, spaces and sounds. This sensitivity, though not always delivering a pleasant experience, did on the other hand, assist in the development of my perception for what I saw as balanced and harmonious. 

I would agree, individual tastes are subjective, influenced by culture and upbringing, but I would also agree that we do share something in common; that our brains are wired to see life in balance. And when it is not, we can be disturbed by the unbalance.

When I traveled, and studied the history of the ancient builders like the Greeks, Egyptians, and Moors, to the modernists such as Frank Llody Wright and Gaudi (the photo above is of Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona), I was looking for the answers behind the how’s and why’s of the wonders they all left behind and why they made the world go 'ahhhh'.

Whether the maker is intent on creating a specific outcome or not, design invokes an emotional response from our heart and stimulates our mind in innumerable ways. Our reaction can range from irritable and vulnerable, to peaceful and awe-inspiring, whether we are conscious or unconscious of it.

As with all nature, the brain is wired to point out anything not in balance or even threatening within our immediate environment. Our nervous system responds like a warning beacon, and we react. This is helpful of course for our safety and survival, but it can also entrap the unconscious mind to only focus on that which is out of balance. This can eventually induce chronic anxiety, pessimism, fear, or depression. 

“Our home is as sacred as any holy ground.”

Although we cannot control the environment of public spaces, we can control the environment we call home. We can choose to create within our home a space that invokes harmony, peace, and joy. And so we should. We have the power to create any outcome of how we want ourselves or our friends and family to feel, and it does not have to be costly. Just imagine how much time we spend in our personal home in a lifetime. It is the greatest investment worth committing to.

Our home can and should be as sacred as any holy ground, church, or temple anywhere in the world. We just have to aspire to make it so. So why don’t we?

When we look at something that has been created, whether by human endeavour or by nature, and our response is one of awe, and our spirits are lifted up, that is the very moment that the destiny of beauty is revealing itself!

Beauty can be aesthetically pleasing to the senses, but just under the surface, there may be an ‘essence’ trying to commune, lying in wait to be seen and felt by the observer. Beauty can bring out the best in us, awaken greatness within us…our Divinity. 

A Soulology Golden Key:  Perceiving the wonders beyond material creation is within the realm of the Soul.

Soul perception can be penetrated through our limited human perception by intentionally focusing our mind and heart on the task. This takes practice. Surrounding our self in a beautiful environment is a good place to begin.  Sitting in beauty can invoke an awareness that can take us beyond the physical world. Beauty takes us into the depths of the divine realms. Streams of consciousness can open up to our mind and revelations can begin to download. We soon tap into unlimited creativity with a new appreciation for true beauty and its purpose, and then want to share it with others...

Faithful Beauty Seeker

A Soulful Living Meditation: Eyes on Beautypracticing meditation at a museum

30 minutes

You can practice this meditation sitting at home, walking through a park or visiting
a museum.

If you can find the time in a period of a week or two, I suggest doing all three. This would be very beneficial so you may compare the differences or similarities that the experiences bring you. Keep a journal with you so you may write down your ponderings as you complete your meditations.

Objective: Tuning the apparatus of the eyes to the will of the mind. Discover how your will is connected to what you see.

Instruction: Keep your eyes open. Sit or walk through the meditation, or both. When you are ready, get quiet and centre yourself. Now simply ask beauty to show itself to you. Watch what comes forward. What are your eyes being drawn to? Are you seeing things you’ve never seen before? Are you seeing things differently? Are you feeling uplifted, happy? And if so, what specifically is it about the object or space that is making you feel uplifted and happy? Are there memories coming forward? Is there more you wish to explore? Take note.

Keep your mind focused on the task and continue to observe. Allow yourself to stay within this stream of consciousness for as long as possible. It could be ten minutes or it could be thirty. When complete open your journal and sketch, draw or write your revelations.