the God box

Saturday afternoon I sat down at the kitchen table...tuned into the classical station (which was playing some wonderful Argentinian music)...grabbed a recent issue of Shambala Sun (which I knew contained images that would call to me in making this)...a big glue stick...a big mug of Royal Vitality tea...and sat down to make a God box.  I used to collage quite a bit when I was in my early-to-mid 20's.  But when I sat down to make this God box, I let go of any ideas about having it look 'perfect.'  I didn't care if the edges showed or if the glue made the paper pucker or any of it.  (And these photos emphasize its flaws--it looks a little prettier in person.)  :)  First I needed a box.  I decided to use the small box that Jen Lemen's Joy-Full Girl candle arrived in.  Appropriate, right?  :)  (And the nature of the box I chose would make it look less than perfect.  I was too lazy to remove the packing tape already on the box and too lazy to walk out to the garage to get packing tape to seal it, choosing instead to use the flimsier Scotch tape.  But this God box for me was much more about intent and much less about outward appearance.)  I know that one side looks like the image is upside down, but when the box is resting on its side, she looks at repose.  I like the idea of different angles which for me serves as a reminder that it's always good to expand my perception outside of the comfort zone right in front of me.  And I liked the idea of resting one image in the Buddha's hand.  That offering gesture serves to remind me to 'let go and let God' (as I define it)--to offer up my experience in gratitude rather than trying to analyze or over-dramatize it.  Sorry for the blurriness of the upper right photo.  I don't know if you can make it out, but in the center of what is the bottom of the box (when it's lying down) is an image of an old monk holding two oranges in front of his eyes.  That's a photo advertising the film Zen Noir.  I put it on the 'bottom' of the box because underlying everything in life for me is humor.  Life gets very dull when I push humor aside.  Plus I just liked the visual reminder that often we might as well be trying to look through oranges considering how 'dirty' our perception glasses can become.  We're trying to view the world through all of our baggage and sometimes it makes us very dense.  Speaking for myself anyway...  ;)  On the side that has lots of white space with only the words "Choosing Peace"...well, it really is that simple, isn't it?  In any given moment, we can either choose the peaceful re-action...or choose from a smorgasbord of other emotions.  The end with the photo of the moon in that blue, blue sky called to me because that's one of my favorite hues (hence my love of Caribbean blue) and the simplicity of the image reminds me that life is really very simple--it is *I* who complicate it.  The other end has the quote from SARK'S book that I referenced in the previous post--a great daily reminder. 

Can you see the hole?  The place where I plan to slip my dreams, wishes, desires, 'problems'?  The old me (when I was younger) would have carefully cut around the paper to match the hole I'd cut in the box.  This me just punched it through with the scissors and pushed the paper back with my fingers.  Look to the left of the Buddha's mouth...  As for the word "enlighten"...for me it doesn't just mean to become more aware...it means to literally lighten my load.  After all, that's what a God box is for, right?  ;) 

And that's the story of my God box.  If any of you have made, or plan to make, a God box, I'd love to see it.

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Just a reminder that I am posting a daily self-portrait photo to Flickr, as promised.  They're hardly scintillating, but my Flickr 366 Days set is here.
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Making the God box was strangely energizing.  When I'd finished it, I decided to tackle the two very large stacks of papers that I'd been piling atop the antique radio and little vintage TV you see in the background of the photos.  (I'd removed the papers before taking these shots.)  Yay to sorting and organizing!

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Today (January 6th) is my last day of Winter break.  Truthfully, I think I'm in a bit of denial that I have to return to my job tomorrow.  :)  My 'vacation' didn't remotely pan out to be what I had hoped.  I can either choose to accept that, or spend the next few weeks bitching about it.  I'm going to make a conscious decision in this moment to choose the former.  :)  Moving on...

This morning I flipped open Creative Visualization (one of my all-time favorite books from decades ago) and saw this listed as one of the things that helps Shakti in her creative visualization process:

"Having a friend or (ideally) a community of friends who are also tuned into learning to live more consciously and who will support you and help you in your efforts."

Little did Shakti know when she wrote that book in 1978 that she was foreseeing the blogosphere.  ;)

Her last chapter heading is "Your Life Is Your Work of Art."  Thanks go to all of you for sharing your art with me.  xoxo

For my Sacred Life Sunday exercise today, I'm going to spend some time in quiet reflection and write some things to put into my God box.