Monday 25 October 2010

My Box of Feathers and Wabi-Sabi


The wooden box, table, wooden bowl and mini woven mat were all thrift shop treasures :~)
The book I had to order from Amazon as I could not wait for it to 'turn up'!

One of my boxes of feathers, feathers I have taken years to lovingly and delightedly collect, has had a moth attack. At first there was that awful feeling, with a sharp-breath intake and a slow-release sigh of "ohhh nooo" because, of course, each one is unique and cannot be replaced. There can be an 'instead of' but not 'the same as'.

As I sorted through them though, a whisper of a thought gently overtook my initial alarm....."Wabi-Sabi".

I've only recently discovered the term Wabi-Sabi ~ thanks to this lady, but it is how I have always lived, finding beauty in the signs of aging, and from childhood onwards, filling my home with worn, smooth pebbles, driftwood silvered by the sea, broken shells that used to be homes now treasured and rejoiced in by me and my family; well used and previously owned chairs, tables, cushions and clothes all with their secret stories teasingly shown on their scarred and scuffed surfaces leaving us to wonder at the tales they could tell.

As often happens if I allow myself to be open to magic ~ as Wabi-Sabi came to my mind, I found this ~


a heart~full reminder ~ and of course, it was all alright. The damage isn't that bad and birds are incredibly generous with their feather~gifts, so I will always have a plentiful supply. 

As I wrote this I was happily interrupted by a vast storytelling of crows flying with great purpose and dramatic cawing over our house towards the West. MM and I ran out to watch them and would have loved to know what they know and what their arcanum business was.

6 comments:

  1. Well, you know I just LOVE this post, being a fellow appreciator of Wabi-Sabi. That feather? Such a wonderful message! And I'm also getting impatient with waiting for the same book to appear :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Helen, Wow... Your life feels very much like mine... so lovely to meet you.. beautiful thoughts here.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Wabi-Sabi Wanderings ~ I was thinking of you when I was writing this post :~) I hope your book has arrived already...you will enjoy it so much. Blessed be.

    Gwen, I felt exactly the same when I was visiting your blog...and enjoying myself so much :~) I have only managed quick visits today, but am looking forward to another long meander soon!

    ReplyDelete
  4. So inspiring and sweet. I don't know about Wabi-Sabi and must now go do some research :). I love the heart, and of course, there is always something unexpected and magical to be found and what was considered initially to be unpleasant. I love that.

    xoxox

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just read this once more and just wanted to let you know I'm reading through my copy now. :) I am so drawn to this idea.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Brooke ~ isn't it wonderful when you find that something you have always done and enjoyed is actually a whole philosophy in another culture. Thank you ~ I am now thinking of you enjoying your read :~)

    Hi Juliana ~ me too :~) thank you *

    ReplyDelete