Spiritual Art Blog - *Ed P

Cloud Angel

Below are the latest developments with Cloud Angel.

Be happy by knowing ourselves

Thought for the Week
We can be happy by knowing ourselves. If we can get to know your emotions, our reactions and what causes us to do the things we do, then we can begin to lead a happier life. The things we need to be aware of include:
How our emotions work, 
Why we react the way we do, 
Why we have our opinions,
How our opinions affect our life. 
Finding the core of happiness witin ourselves.

Knowing these things about ourselves can help us understand our life. We begin to discover why life is the way it is and how we can help change it for the better. How can we get to know these things? Let’s look at the different elements within ourselves.

Emotions
Our emotions can rule us. We have to watch for the situations which trigger our emotions. We need to recognise what causes them to react.

We also need to be aware that our emotions will balance themselves. If we get really happy, there will be a balance where we will be really sad. Our emotions can go up and down like waves, we should try and keep these highs and lows to a minimum. We need to keep our selves balanced. The calmer we can keep our emotions the calmer our life will be.

Memory Triggers
Our memories often trigger our emotions. When we look at or think about something our memories pop up with images of what happened the last time we encountered a person, a situation or a task. They may provoke a range of reactions. If the reactions are positive and we're happy with them, then we are fine. However if they provoke a negative reaction we should try to adjust them. If the thought of something upsets us we should try and change the memories which come to mind when we think of it. 

Suppose we have a person to deal with, or a job or task to do, which we really don't like. Can we adjust our memories of them? There must be some good points to them, there has to be some worthwhile elements we can uncover. We should find some positive aspect to the situation and focus on it. Explore what makes it good and let’s begin to develop that aspect in our mind. If we can maintain this image it will help improve our attitude toward the situation and it won't be such a source of unhappiness for us.

Mind the Mind
We need to mind our mind. The way we talk to ourselves, how we work things out and how we’ve programmed our selves. We programme ourselves by creating opinions and reactions for situations.

Our mental system has been put together based on our experiences since we were born. That's the stuff we are conscious of. The subtle 'natural' and often automatic stuff has been built up over many lifetimes. A lot of it is good stuff, as it helps us survive in the physical world. However the stuff that leads us to a state of unhappiness needs to be updated and sorted out. Our mind is like a piece of software. It gets bugs and viruses and it needs regular updates to stay in tune with the flow of our life.

If there is an unhappy situation we regularly find ourselves in, we should examine the circumstances which lead us to it and how we interact with it. Here are a few things we can check:
Our attitude, can we change it to something more positive?
Our approach, can we change the way we approach the situation?
Our words, can we use more positive words to ourselves and the people involved?
What we do, can we do something that will help the situation?
Can we find a way to like it or love it?

The mind is a powerful machine and it will run our lives if we let it. If that happen, we loose the wisdom and contentment coming from our Subconscious and Soul. 

Subconscious beyond logic
Our subconscious produces the subtle things that go on in the back of our mind. Things like intuition, hunches, feelings about something or a knowingness. This part of us is beyond logic. It often doesn’t make sense when you look at these subconscious thoughts in a logical way. If we can learn to trust the intuitive thoughts which come to us we will begin to tap into a very resourceful and helpful part of ourselves.

These messages are coming from Soul, the wise, happy and loving part of us. Intuition is our conscious interaction with Soul. By being aware of and taking guidance from our intuition we can begin to bring more happiness into our lives. This takes a bit of practice but once we get into the habit of using our intuition, it will lead us to better decisions and a happier direction for our lives.

Soul, an atom of God
If we can realise we are Soul, an atom of God, a particle of love, then we have a lot to be happy about. This is a major step in achieving happiness. When we realise we are a part of God, a unique part of It, then we realise we are in good hands. What better guidance can we have if we are connected with God?

God
Once we realise we are Soul, our next step is to discover what God is. But first things first, let’s explore and get to know ourselves. When we have ourselves sorted out we can then move on to more heavenly things.

Be happy, it requires work but it’s worth it.

*Ed Parkinson

Inspirational Quote

" "Know thyself," said the old philosopher, "improve thyself," saith the new. Our great object in time is not to waste our passions and gifts on the things external that we must leave behind, but that we cultivate within us all that we can carry into the eternal progress beyond. “

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

News - Art Ireland Invite

I don't have a stand at the Art Ireland Spring Collection at the RDS Main Hall this weekend but you may like to go and have a look.  On Saturday and Sunday there are free talks lined up for artists and for art buyers and investors.

As usual there is a great display of original art for sale from Irish and international galleries and artists.

For free entry to Art Ireland, click on the image of the ticket below, print it and present it at the door.

Cloud Angel

In January I was going down to Cork with a friend. I was the passenger and able to observe the countryside as he drove. At one point we came around a corner to be greeted by a bank of dark clouds on the horizon. The sun was behind the clouds sending bright rays into the blue sky above the clouds. There was a slight parting in the clouds where the sun’s rays shone through. The clouds arched like the wings of an angel. This bright and gleaming angel was overseeing our journey. This is the first rough for Could Angel, it may be very different by the time it’s complete.

Strive to be happy

Thought for the Week
Happiness is something most of us seek. No matter where we are in life. From the drug addict to the billionaire, the child to the pensioner, the abused to the dictator, we are all searching for the same thing, happiness in some form or other. When we look at it this way, we realise that we are all equal in this desire.

The happiness we get from physical things like money, power, cars, houses, drugs, alcohol, doesn’t last long. It satisfies us for a short time but the unhappiness returns and we continue seeking through more of the same stuff. For example the rich man will continue to accumulate wealth after he has enough to satisfy his needs. The person with the new car will be eying up the new model, with the new gizmos, as soon as the ads appear in the media.

Our desires have a major influence on our happiness. If we can tailor our desires to what we have now, rather than to what we don't have, we can be a lot happier. We can still plan and aim to improve our situation as necessary. If we are constantly looking at our circumstance with dissatisfaction, we will constantly be unhappy. If we can look at our circumstances and find things to be grateful for, things we are happy with, then our happiness will increase. 

Our happiness cannot depend on others, it must be based within ourselves. We cannot have happiness if it is dependant on X, Y and Z being in place. We need to get ourselves to the point where we are happy no matter what situation we are in. This kind of happiness depends on knowing ourselves well and being connected with life and going with the flow of life. 

It comes down to our attitude. If we can have an attitude of gratitude, we can increase our happiness. If we can see others as Souls like ourselves and see that they are on their journey, like us, we can be more sympathetic towards them. We can be happy that they are in the right place for their path at the moment. 

Be happy

*Ed Parkinson

Inspirational Quote

"Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date." 

Dale Carnegie

Past Lives, Dreams and Inner Travel

Past Lives, Dreams and Inner Travel is just about complete. I have to print it out and see how it looks, make any corrections and them it’s finished. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Don't be part of the recession

Thought for the week

We should refuse to be a part of the recession and the ‘poor me’ thinking that goes with it. Money is the one aspect of our lives which may be under pressure at the moment but we have so many other facets to our lives. It is time to realise that money doesn't equal happiness. In fact money and the bad management of money is the cause of this recession.

This ‘recession’ is part of a cycle where we can learn new things, be creative and develop ourselves. This could be our chance to do the things we have never had time for. 

Make a List
If we are in the position where we've lost our job, it is now time for us to look at our overall situation. We can make a list of all the positive and negative things in our life. There are many things we can be thankful for. We in Ireland and most of the Western world, we have shelter, food, clean water, mild weather, cars, internet, our health, etc. Here's a sample list:

Positive                 Negative
Nice house             Mortgage to pay
Lots of free time     No job
Good friends
My skills                Need new skills
Will eat today
Can email friends
Can phone friends
Can travel 
Good health            Pain somewhere

If we keep the list with us we can add to it as we think of things. We should try to make sure there are more positive things on the list than negative. Looking at a list of the good things in life helps us see the what we can be thankful for and puts us in a positive state of mind. 

Make the most of today
Enjoy the sunshine, enjoy the rain. They are part of our lives, without them we couldn’t survive. We need both to keep alive. We need the good times and hard times to keeps us spiritually alive. They help us reconnect with our inner selves, our spiritual side. We begin to realise that our life is not just about making money and getting things like cars, houses and holidays. They are all part of it, but life is really a spiritual training ground where we develop our love for life and for other souls around us.

Keep a positive frame of mind. If we can see that this period is a lesson which we need to learn and it is a natural part of our journey in this life, we get a more detached viewpoint. Enjoy the journey, don’t just focus blindly on the end result or goal. Live in the here and now, don't be worried about the future. Make the most of today, pick a moment you can enjoy and savour. This could be: 
Time spent with a loved one, 
Time sipping a refreshing drink, 
A few moments in the sunshine, 
The perfume from a flower or a person,
Reading a good book which fires our imagination, 
The smile from a passer by or friend,
The love and attention of a pet,
Listening to the songs of birds,
Spending time with nature,
Sharing a joke with others.

This is another list we can add lots to. If you have suggestions please click on ‘Comments’ below and let us know. As a person with a positive outlook we can help those around us. Othersy will see that we are positive and content and will pick up a little positive energy for themselves.

May we be aware of our blessings 

*Ed Parkinson

News

Mind Body Spirit Festival
I"m current exhibiting at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in the RDS in Dublin. So far it has gone well. The two talks I gave have been well attended and the audience enjoyed the Journey of Soul. There were a lot of good and thoughtful questions. 
The Festival continues until Tuesday evening, 17th March and I'll be doing a talk on Tuesday at 3 pm. If you're in the area call in and say hello.

Inspirational Quote

“Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.”

John Keats

Past Lives Dreams and Inner Travel

This week I was working on the Dreams part of the picture Past Lives Dreams and Inner Travel. I’ve illustrated three types of dreams. Dreams of flying, where we are flying around like a bird. Dreams of falling, where we are falling of a cliff into the unknown. Dreams of learning, where we are learning something of value. There are many other types of dreams but I thought these are ones most people will be familiar with.

News

Mind Body Spirit Festival

The Mind Body Spirit festival is taking place this coming weekend. It is on during the St. Patrick’s weekend in the RDS in Dublin. It starts on Saturday 14th and runs until Tuesday 17th. I’ll have a stand there and will be giving a lecture on the Journey of Soul (PDF) Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. The talk will take you on a visual journey using my art to inspire your imagination and explain Soul’s journey.Here’s a PDF file of the folder of images which go with the talk.

If you’d like a ticket for Free entry to the festival, just email me your address to ed at edp-art dot com. I’ll put one in the post to you. I only have a very limited number so they’ll go on a first come first served basis. For those of you who have already applied for tickets, they will be in the post by Wednesday.

Inspirational Quote

“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Aesop 

Past Lives Dreams and Inner Travel

The image below is what I’ve been working on recently. It shows the Past Lives element of the picture.

How to ask for spiritual guidance - a spiritual tool.

Thought for the week

The way we get signs and signals from the spiritual side of life is by asking for them. If we have a situation to which we’d like an answer, the first thing we do, is work out the question. It is wise to ask for the answer in a specific format, so that we can understand it when it is given to us. 

For example, a friend had a question about the direction he should take with his life, as he was now at a cross roads. He asked the question and requested that if the answer was yes, he would be shown a zebra. Later that evening he was talking to his daughter and as she was leaving she said to him “Dad did you see the t-shirt I got today?” She lifted up her jumper to reveal a t-shirt with a zebra on it. He got his answer from a messenger he knows and loves.

But be careful what you ask for. A friend was telling me, she said to her inner guide and the Holy Spirit, that she was a bit thick and needed a good bang on the head, to make sure the message gets through. Shortly after that she ended up in the Casualty Department of a hospital, after she received a bang to her head. The thing is, to ask for something which is easy to recognize and unusual, so we will notice it but not something too extreme. We get what we ask for.

Asking Spirit

If we need to get an answer on a subject from the spiritual worlds, we should go to the highest source we know. That could be the Holy Spirit, the Life-forces, the Higher Power, Jesus, Mohammad, Krishna or any person who we consider highly spiritual. We are really asking Spirit for the answer. If we were to ask a friend or relative who has passed on, they may not have the knowledge or recourses to answer or to send a message to us here in the physical world. If we ask Spirit, it has the whole of life around us, which it can orchestrate to provide the answer. 

How to ask

A question could be framed like this “I would like to know the following…. If it is good for me and the whole of life, to receive the answer. Can you answer in the following way? If the answer is “Yes”, please let me see a white rose. If the answer is “No”, let me see a black rose.” I’ve used a rose in the answer but you can put in anything you fancy.  Try this out on some small things, so that you get the feel for how Spirit works with you. When you get used to using the technique, you can progress to more significant issues. Starting small will build your confidence in the process and it is easy to adjust it to suit your individual personality. 

Using this technique will give us access to infinite wisdom, once we get used to using it. It is like using the internet except we can get personal answers to any aspect of life we choose. Like the internet, it takes time to find our way around it and understand its processes but the effort will bring a constant flow of insights and wisdom.

*Ed Parkinson

Mind Body Spirit Festival

The Mind Body Spirit festival is taking place in two weeks time. It is on over the St. Patrick’s Day weekend in the RDS in Dublin. It starts on Saturday 14th and runs until Tuesday 17th. I’ll have a stand there and will be giving a lecture on the Journey of Soul each day. The talk will take you on a visual journey using my art to inspire your imagination and explain Soul’s journey. Here’s a PDF file of the folder of images which go with the talk.

If you’d like a ticket for Free entry to the festival, just email me your address to ed at edp-art dot com. I’ll put one in the post to you. I only have a very limited number so they’ll go on a first come first served basis.

Inspirational Quote

I asked God for strength that I might achieve;
I was made weak to humbly obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy;
I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life;
I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for but everything I had hoped for.

Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am among all men most richly blessed.

Anon.