Beauty from Broken Pieces

This week’s Virtual Friday Morning InterPlay brought to you by Cassandra Sagan, an InterPlay leader in Portland, Oregon.

*Tree of Life Mosaic
*Raise a hand in Blessing

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Take a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.

Tree of Life Mosaic
Almost a year ago, I asked my dear friend Penelope St. Clair to help me create a broken tile mosaic Tree of Life in my shower. Penny is a ceramic artist and had done some mosaic work, but nothing on this scale, and I had always wanted to, but had never done, anything remotely like it. We spent a couple of months reading books on mosaic art, measuring, designing, preparing, scavenging, breaking, and hand cutting (mostly Penny) the tiles. We began with the countertop, using the same colors in smaller pieces, and although I immediately fell in love with the work, I was too insecure to lay a single tile when Penny wasn’t right there with me.

A little context: my husband and I were in the middle of a massive whole house renovation, and I was way-too-incrementally recovering from a partially dislocated hip. It began to seem like my mantra was “discombobulated” because when anyone asked how I was, that’s what I usually said.

But as the swirls on the counter and then the Tree of Life in the shower began to take shape, I began to feel that, piece by broken piece, I was making myself whole. The moment I realized that tiling was a form of InterPlay—I’ve got my overarching framework, my pallet, and all I have to do is play within a simple structure—I took over artistic directorship of the project. And just in time, because Penelope was preparing to move back to Northern California, and was less and less available to work with me. I loved every moment of our side-by-side, often tush-to-tush duet. And I am completely astounded to have discovered an entirely new artistic expression during my mid-50s.

My soul sister, hiking buddy, videographer extraordinaire Cathy Zheutlin, decided that since my stubborn hip was preventing us from taking our weekly early morning hikes, she would spend time with me by making this video.

Raise a hand in Blessing: Listen to LIVING TREE by Jack Gabriel.
I sang this song about a thousand times in what we call “the shrine shower” over the million or so hours I spent tiling.

Raise a hand and let it move, dance, dip, dive, shape, and fly through the air. If an image or melody comes into your mind sing it, say it, draw it, write it. Break something and put it back together!

Take a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.
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To purchase a copy of Rabbi Jack’s LIVING TREE contact him at gabriel49@aol.com.

How do I love me, let me count the ways

Painting by Chryssa Wolfe

Solo Love Song video/practice
“Spell to Re-genius Yourself” video/practice
Raise a hand in blessing listen/movement

Created by: Cassandra Sagan
Narcissism, vanity, self-absorption, conceit—who says we only have one word for self-love? Yet the Wise Ones say we must fall in love ourselves before we can truly love another. Luckily there are a zillion juicy, sweet, attractive, redemptive, fun ways to love ourselves. (Is there a word for healthy self-love?) It turns out that all of the joy, dignity, creativity, fun, stability, spontaneity, contentment, excitement that we have ever felt with a lover is ours for the reclaiming.

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Take a deep breath and let it out with a sigh…

Solo Love Song video/practice

Listen to my Solo Love Song:

Have a romantic evening…alone. Or a romantic minute. Put on some music, light a candle, slip into something a little more conducive. Shake it out, move for a while. Create a song of praise for yourself, or a dance, or a poem. Pick something you absolutely adore: the Mediterranean, chocolate pudding, your dog, moonlight, bananas in the moonlight— and then describe yourself as if you are that thing.  Write your own SILLY SONG OF MYSELF— I am a mountain tickled by snowboarders. I am the spinning of the Earth, the velocity of velociraptors. Sing or speak or write with a thick foreign accent. Look at yourself in the mirror with the same generosity of heart with which you gaze at a beloved friend. Resolve to always look upon yourself with the same expansive kindness you offer others. Sing/write/dance about the things you love to do when you’re alone alone, smile at an inside joke. Exaggerate. “I love my eyes, they remind me of_____.” Love the One you’re with. Repeat whenever the mood strikes. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

“Spell to Re-genius Yourself”video/practice

Here’s Rob Brezsny, author of PRONOIA Is The Antidote for Paranoia; How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings, describing his “Spell to Re-genius Yourself”. Watch, and then create your own!

Raise a hand in blessing listen/movement

When we dance hand-to-hand we often practice opening the space between us. We can feel that connection even when we aren’t right together. This time, start by pressing one palm against the other. Hold your own hand, wiggle your fingers, tickle your life lines. And then, when you’re ready, raise a hand in blessing. Turn in a full circle (or not) and know that others are sending blessings to you too.

Listen to SKINNY BONES by The Ditty Bops

Take a deep breath and let it out with a sigh.

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Note: This week’s posting is created by Cassandra Sagan. Cassandra is a Portland, OR InterPlay leader and organizer, a writer, a poet in the schools, a Ukelele playing songstress, and a leader in her synagogue.

May 22 09: A Time to Savor

Savoring InterPlay outdoors in Australia

Use these five elements to have your own Friday morning InterPlay experience!

Voice of the Universe by Shazam  song
One Hand Dance on Rest and Unrest movement
BodyPsalm on Savoring by Celeste Snowber   poem
A Tutu Tale by Cassandra Sagan   story
Raise Your Hand in Blessing movement

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Take a deep breath and let it out with a sigh…

Voice of the Universe
Shazam (aka Suzanne Cimone), a member of WING IT! Performance Ensemble, composed this song for InterPlayer Marlys Tobias’ masters thesis project: Grandmother’s Creating the Universe.
Voice of the Universe

A Hand Dance on Behalf of Rest and Unrest
Its all around us. Rest and Unrest. Restless and Resting.
Raise on hand in the air.
For ten seconds move it smooth.
For ten seconds move it smooth and quick.
For a moment move it in a jerky way
Move it jerky and slow.
Hold your hand in a still shape then let the shape change to another one.
Bring your hand into contact with your own skin.
With one hand, dance on behalf of the rest and unrest in all of us.
Notice what rises from the dance.

Bodypsalm for Savoring
by Celeste Snowber, Vancouver BC, May 4, 2009

Enough is Enough
it is way too much doing, thinking, producing
and thinking about doing more when it may
be time to do less
be less, lessen and here is the lesson
You have already produced more beauty, generosity and
work through one creative endeavor or another for several lifetimes
not to mention children you have raised, parents you have attended to
gardens you have planted, literally and metaphorically
and brought more people, projects and passions to ripening
than can be counted
you are past counting
and now it is time to be countless
and perhaps be a countess

Relax into a place of knowing
that you have already
done enough
and now is the time to

S A V O R

Savor all the ways you have worked with your whole heart
and loved with your whole heart:
mothers, fathers, siblings, friends, children, lovers, spouses and
even those who have left your life through natural or unnatural causes

Accept all your luxurious beauty of soulfulness that has wrapped
around those you have hold in your heart
and all the efforts you have made to follow meaning
in the world through work, words, worries and wantings

Vibrate with all that is going through you –
the rise and fall of internal waves
crashes of questions
hormonal fluctuations in a sea of ripenings

Own both your shortcomings and accomplishments
which means to name and rename what you truly
have done, don’t dismiss it in light of living into the unknown
Others own all your wonder, it is time for you to own it too

Relinquish the need to be superwoman or superman
have a funeral for doing too much
and celebrate not doing in some way
Enjoy being and know you are being formed into a wise one

You are being called to drink from the cup of serene
Each gesture is an act of love
a counteraction to a world of overdoing
an addiction to doing one more thing

when all along
the love in your eyes
the way you behold
who and what you love
is the fragrance of
the One who gave
the beautiful scent
of you.

A Tutu Tale
From Cassandra Sagan, Portland, Oregon

Our chant group got to lead Reb Shlomo Carlebach’s Shalom chant as part of an interfaith multicultural concert “opening” for a talk by Archbishop Desmond Tutu.  I’m sure many/most/all of you have experienced him before. He is such an InterPlayer! Playful and loving and most of all, simple. He had a simple message and he told simple stories, standard spiritual stories we’ve all heard. He teased himself, he is such an imp! And yet he has been part of one of the most dramatic freedom stories on the planet, a story of transformation that is so inspiring, so hopeful, so previously unimaginable. And when a panelist, after the talk, asked him what he thought about Barack Obama’s election, he DANCED in his seat, for a few minutes, just boogied and boogalooed and had us all cheering and laughing. When I was chanting I was just about 8 feet in front of him and got to look at him and chant with him.

Raise A Hand in Blessing

When we dance hand to hand we often practice opening the space between us. We can often feel that connection even when we aren’t right together.
Raise a hand in blessing. Turn in a full circle (or not) and know that others are sending blessings to you too.

Taking a deep Breath and Letting it out with a Sigh……