Fellowship Spiritual Art

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A work of art is spiritual when it helps promote presence in the viewer. Along with a beauty that derives both from inspiration and mastery of its medium, an artistic creation may contain specific information, in the form of symbol, theme or illustrative material, which expresses a facet of the experience of presence or the struggles to be present. In this way a visual impression can distill a psychological understanding to a single point. Learning to look at and appreciate the visual language of the esoteric helps deepen one’s understanding of presence and the moment-to-moment efforts it requires.

St. Peter Delivered from Prison by an Angel
Salvatore Rosa (1615–1673)
oil on canvas

Our prison of sleep is imagination. The combination of our own inner work and the presence of the higher self momentarily free us from this prison and bring us into the moment.

An angel often represents a thought or emotion within us that strives to rise above the combative world of our mechanical psychology.

Christian Imagery

The sophistication of the visual and plastic arts have given us works that embody the subtlest shades of psychological meaning through elaborate ornament and detailed craftsmanship. And yet artistic periods of simple iconography, rooted in the essence of esoteric work, speak the language of the soul with a directness that bypasses all but the simple truth of the Self in the present moment.

Gold Ring with Christian Motif
6^th century Byzantine

This cross with eight flared ends surrounded by six dots is a cipher of internal effort and internal reward. Since numbers are everywhere to be found, their simple combination in lines and circles recalls the student to confine his efforts to simple, precise steps.

Tapestry with Angel and Mary Motif
Early Christian

Angel and Virgin Mary represent the active mind and passive heart that must work together each moment to induce presence. This repeating motif reveals itself slowly to the eye after continued gazing, permitting us to experience the value of persistent effort to see what is before us.

Mosaic with Cross and Petal Motif

Early Christian

Dating back to prehistoric times, a cross of equal length and breadth was for millennia man’s most common symbol. Nestled in a blossom of circles and petals, we find a simple representation of the eternal in time.

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