Sabian Symbols: Children blowing soap bubbles
This universal idea is best expressed through planets in
Libra 13 (12° - 13°)PLAYFUL IMAGININGS
We probably learn as much through play as through work "Learning how to play" Whereas delving into what was placed in the past, whether wisdom words or coal, contributes to our knowledge, so too does creative imagination. We dream up the future. Children have no problem with fantasy - a state of mind similar to the enjoyment of blowing bubbles. It is much more than play though; play is the training ground of learning.
Rudhyar: CHILDREN BLOWING SOAP BUBBLES |
|
|
Children blowing soap bubbles
Enchantment |
To be happy, we can learn from children the magic of being
It cheers us to see children having fun. Blowing bubbles has very little impact upon anything physical; its effect however is very profound on the level of mood. Despite the lack of tangible rewards, we all give a significant degree of energy and attention to gain reassurance through the presence of the beautiful and good. There is enchantment here. We are moved away from hard reality into a fairy-land, and it makes us more kindly disposed towards our fellows. So in fact there are significant material benefits after all – as we feel more friendly, we spend less energy and money to protect ourselves. Life’s constant challenge for us is to remain capable of childlike enthusiasm for the simple and innocent, while rising above childish incapability to manage difficult circumstances. The business of adult self-definition can be meaningfully divided into two aspects – what we must do, and what we choose to do. There are duties and there are privileges in life, and it is well to remember that our duties are valid only to the extent that eventually they serve our playful, relaxed, childlike inner self. Perhaps we too should blow bubbles sometimes. This is not to say that a life spent daydreaming is a life well-lived – that leads nowhere that a truly inspired, creative person would want to be. There is little opportunity for growth in the mere rhythms of workaday routines, and human individuality knows it must be up and at the business of selfhood. What this does say is that a constant simplicity of character enables us to maintain contact with the transcendental magic of being. If happiness is our purpose, it is unlikely to be realised only through ardent single-minded ambition – we have to stop and smell the roses. There is a lot we can learn from children. The first expression of gentle humanity is to be seen in their simplicity and openness, and we generally enjoy those qualities in ourselves and others in adulthood – provided they are expressed appropriately when we have completed our chores. |