Many Symbols, Many Meanings

-

By Sister Cecelia

During our regular retreat times, some of the common works are put aside so that we have a bit more time for reading, reflecting, and meditating.  This morning as I was reflecting on the pictures and wall hangings here, I realized they each have a special significance to me. The different images symbolize something to me that would not mean the same to anyone else. Others would not see what I see in them.

One is a handmade paper, slightly raised in various areas, that is in different shades of blue with little green and gold flecks. I doubt the artist intended what I see, which is a rowboat or canoe in the Everglades, or some area like the Everglades. I see an overhanging tree at an angle toward the boat, with accompanying overgrowth. The scene is symbolic to me of God looking over my journey into the unknown of everyday life. It isn’t clear where I am going, but God is near and with me. While life can be frightening at times, this depiction is peaceful and serene.

 Another painting was done by my father. When it hung in his home with about twenty others of his paintings, it showed a windblown river descending in a terrific storm during the night, with possible lightning in the distance. After my father died and the painting was given to me and hung up with another painting of his, I was amazed to find that the river was going upstream, not down! From the darkened bottom the windblown river was going toward the light, not lightning.  How symbolic it seems of life. No matter how difficult the storms of life, the river of our journey will take us toward the light if we let it—or even in spite of our efforts to the contrary.



The other painting by my father is of the same Maumee River, which is wide enough in places to appear as small lakes. This one does, but it still flows upstream around similar bends of land. After the storm of the first painting, this one is calm and serene.


My musings have made me wonder what symbolism others see in places or activities, or rituals that mean something only to them. In studying icons, we see so many symbolic colors, stances, and styles whose meanings have for the most part remained the same. Many symbols were originally understood without any need for explanations, but now they are not so obvious. A little knowledge of scripture is a big help in understanding some of the symbolism of icons.






Popular posts from this blog

Monks on the Move

-
Image
  by Brother Christopher   It is not often that monks get to travel, given that our focus is on living the monastic life in this particular community. However, occasionally situations come up when travel is warranted, and one such opportunity presented itself recently for Brothers Christopher and Theophan. The Institute for the Study of Eastern Christianity at Catholic University of America was hosting a conference titled “Ascetic Practices and the Mind: Mental Healing in Eastern Christianity” on March 1-2. We found out about the conference when Robin Darling Young, one of the theology professors at Catholic U and an organizer of the conference, paid a brief visit to New Skete last fall. During the course of her visit she learned that Brother Theo had a background in neuroscience, and she mentioned to us how the conference planners were looking for an Orthodox participant(s) whose interests were in both spirituality and neuroscience. She took advantage of the synchronicity...
Read more

Seeking God

-
Image
  By Sister Cecelia Seeking to do God’s will in all things is what monasticism is all about. It encompasses all the nitty-gritty happenings in all our lives. At the Nuns’ monastery, after 30-plus years the door and door frame opening to a second-floor deck had succumbed to all the snows and rainfalls and was rotting along the bottom. It took 3 months for a replacement door to arrive and another few months for it to be installed. Further investigation of the deck itself revealed extensive rotting that needed attention. Through many years of repairs to the wooden deck itself, it appeared to be a lost cause. How long would the wood last, since so many coats of stain and preservative had been applied and the wood floor and railing were still cracked with so much snow and rain on it? How long would a repair last before someone leaned against the railing and went tumbling down? Or a floorboard gave when stepped on? We do trust in God, but we also know that God expects us to use our hea...
Read more

Liberty and Belonging

-
Image
  By Br Brennan Just over a year ago I was planning an early retirement with an eye to monastic life. While I can’t say that I had one of those great careers and was at the top of my game, I had come to know some really amazing people over my years in the last job. Among those, I always enjoyed truly close relationships marked by great mutual respect. However, I was also one of those artists with a day job, and as a dancer/instructor/choreographer I had come to notice in recent years a certain status of “esteemed eldership” of sorts (at least in my particular genre, that of East European ethnic dance), however awkward I felt about it. After numerous visits to New Skete over the years, I knew the transition to postulancy and novitiate would involve quite a shake-up in my sense of self. And I was correct. First, I was not going to jump in and wow anyone with any diligence, knowledge, or finesse, as I might try to do in a new job. All I could do was pay attention, and learn what t...
Read more