The Preserver

A little musical accompaniment: https://soundcloud.com/vishnu

First things first. This post isn't about me thinking I'm a goddess or a snake charmer, although it may appear that way from the photos and comparisons. Hahaha. No --- It's about symbolism, metaphor, imagery, mystery, and spirituality. It's also about one of my favorite things: synchronicity: "the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection."

In other words, I like the way things seem to go together even when it wasn't planned that way. It makes me think that I'm supposed to be paying attention --- that there is an opportunity to learn something, especially something spiritual. So when I see images that strike me as compelling in some way, I look for the story in it. I'm also trying to figure out my own story. Maybe you are trying to figure out yours and might start looking at what keeps popping up in your psychological and environmental frames. Is there a way to preserve those connections?

So -- I stumbled across an image of this Hindu god, Vishnu the Preserver:

scroll down to the bottom, please, to see another image of him (he's typically a blue-skinned guy who looks female in many images --- but that's a whole different topic) --

Anyway, I was amused to think it looked like me, or I looked like it, in my new happy FB profile pic, with my arms held out to show my proud possessions (a bottle of wine and a wine glass), plus cell phone, wallet, and ever present and necessary glasses).

However, unlike me, Vishnu has four arms, which would be really convenient sometimes because I have so much to do... and in those four arms he holds sacred objects (1) discus -- "symbol of the cosmic mind and reminder of the wheel of time", 2) conch -- "symbol of the sound ohm, origin of existence, 3) club ("symbol of strength and power", and 4) lotus -- "symbol of ascending to divinity and detachment from the world."

See the snakes around Vishnu's head? Now, look at the image of me from Halloween of this year, when I was decked out as a Swamp Witch. Look at what I'm holding in my hands: a snake bowl that I created in pottery class back in the late 1990's, a book of 500 spells, and a ladle with which to stir my cauldron. And on my face... I drew snakes. So interesting...

Then I looked closer at the profile/wine picture, which was taken more than a year ago, and noticed that the wine label says "Snake Charmer" and features a female snake charmer --- and Vishnu is associated with snakes, often standing on coiled snakes. Chopra.com explains that this is to represent a hundred-headed cobra (the many desires of the mind), and how Vishnu is not mastered by these desires but is master over them: http://www.chopra.com/vishnu

This is particularly interesting to me for several reasons. One is that some of my recent poems have mentioned snakes and spirituality; for example, I've employed the character "Cotton Mather" (a Cottonmouth snake --- if you will, a reincarnated version of the actual Puritan minister named Cotton Mather) --- in a series of poems called "The Fabric of Our Lives," which features my hero subject Cotton, personified. It's not as complicated as it may sound.

Here's a stanza from the poem in which Cotton has just met the snake coiled up on the tomb of his cousin:

Cotton shrunk back in horror,

But the snake continued.

“Surely, cousin, you are not surprised

To see a snake talking… after all,

Remember the Garden of Eden.

Perhaps it is just that you cannot

Believe my transformation. I assure

You that I am, indeed, the Reverend

Cotton Mather. I spend my days

Here now, on this tomb, and my nights

At the Hockomock Swamp.

Here he shuddered, and Cotton felt

Compassion. How terrible that his cousin

Had been brought so low as to slide

On his belly across the cold earth

And make his bed in a swamp. The snake

Seemed to read his thoughts because

He said, “I am quite prepared for swamp

Life,” and opened his mouth wide,

Exposing his magnificent fangs.

Fear of snakes also came up on vacation because David's sister is terrified of snakes. So now I'm thinking of writing a new snake poem. More on that later.

So, of course I had to go and learn more about Vishnu and Hinduism in general. I've watched a video called "Getting God," in which a man who doesn't believe in God visits India to study Hinduism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rk0FxGmrO0 and thinking about all of this as part of my spiritual journey, which (if you know me) you know is nearly always in the background of my thoughts. A second video called "Extreme Pilgrim: Hindu Mela" (which you can see here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZM_EqYgRuo) is also fascinating. Note the part about men dressed as women. As for a simple, straightforward and personal take on Hinduism, this is a great video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfeC5niJ7S0

When we learn about other religions, often we find that we have had many misconceptions and have made false judgments about "the other" --- it's easier to build a bridge between two faiths when understanding exists.

Here is some more information about Vishnu and his avatars (other forms he takes to visit earth and accomplish certain goals.) https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/Religions/Avatars/Vishnu.html

http://religion.answers.wikia.com/wiki/How_did_vishnu_get_four_arms

I think I'm going to have more to write about snakes and spirituality and such here, but hopefully before too long you'll be able to see some of what I've already explored in my poetry. I'm looking for a publisher for my poetry book, Twig and Acorn: Poems for Spiritual Seekers and Other Weirdos.

One more thing: check out that peacock feather above Vishnu's left eye. I just happen to be working on a collage peacock at the moment. Synchronicity, again!

I've got to get off the couch and into the lotus position, featured here by the lovely girl with tattoo which I found at followpics.co

--- I'm late for yoga today. Blessings... Tamara