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Saturday, July 31, 2010

undulating~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Aaaahhhh sweet self righteousness...



May tending our own gardens perform righteous acts upon the earth?

May tending our own gardens perform righteous acts upon the earth.

May tending our own gardens perform righteous acts upon the earth.....

I am pleased to make art, to share it and to allow it to go as I let go of what comes through me. Have proven many times to myself the things that happen to me when I try to plug it from gushing all over. Will the outcome be pleasing or filled with the horrors of gobblygook? Give me ten minutes, ten years, perhaps even tens of thousands of years to answer and that answer may be different each time. Am I really using the voice from with in/out or is it that time allows no language to represent itself? Is there really time, but, instead timelessness. 
Is self righteousness of the self but instead a time/timelessness we enter to wield our swords to battle time away, or a friend, or an enemy. I use my self righteousness when I am feeling exactly the opposite - self doubting. I use it when I am battling fatique and want to be not bothered by the other/outer/inner. I use it when I see others dismantle the ground I try to stand upon with their toxic behavior, my toxic behavior. To err is human. For sure? Does that mean when I am righteous that I am inhuman. Oh undulating linguistics. Another wave that we each ride to...

Friday, July 30, 2010

Aaaahhhh sweet self righteousness...



May tending our own gardens perform righteous acts upon the earth?

May tending our own gardens perform righteous acts upon the earth.

May tending our own gardens perform righteous acts upon the earth.....

I am pleased to make art, to share it and to allow it to go as I let go of what comes through me. Have proven many times to myself the things that happen to me when I try to plug it from gushing all over. Will the outcome be pleasing or filled with the horrors of gobblygook? Give me ten minutes, ten years, perhaps even tens of thousands of years to answer and that answer may be different each time. Am I really using the voice from with in/out or is it that time allows no language to represent itself? Is there really time, but, instead timelessness. 
Is self righteousness of the self but instead a time/timelessness we enter to wield our swords to battle time away, or a friend, or an enemy. I use my self righteousness when I am feeling exactly the opposite - self doubting. I use it when I am battling fatique and want to be not bothered by the other/outer/inner. I use it when I see others dismantle the ground I try to stand upon with their toxic behavior, my toxic behavior. To err is human. For sure? Does that mean when I am righteous that I am inhuman. Oh undulating linguistics. Another wave that we each ride to...

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Another early Beeswax and Natural pigment painting

Flat Rock Creek
Beeswax and natural pigment on paper
11” x 15”
1992




Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Article appears in Wilmington NC "Natural Awakening Magazine"








http://www.livenaturalnc.com/
Painting With and For Nature
in Surf City
by Angelica Pallas








Infinity: beeswax and natural pigment on


Lotka paper. 46” x 14”. 2009.





   Greg Patch’s paintings of infinity, the body’s seven energy centers or chakras, and relationships between 
opposing forces symbolize the very essence of life – the waves of energy that move the natural world universally. A means of meditation for the Surf City artist and a vehicle of contemplation for others, the wavy patterns and symbols that emerge in his paintings are created with material as natural as the ancient, sacred geometry that inspires them. A mixture of beeswax and 
natural pigments is the artist’s medium of choice, and for good reasons. “Sustainable alternative mediums 
that are free of turpentine, processed oils, plastics, lead, preservatives and fungicides are at our fingertips: 
beeswax, egg tempera, watercolor, earth (clay) and 
sustainably produced wood, for example,” Patch says.
   A look at some of the material safety data sheets 
(MSDS) on popular mediums is eye-opening. The following safety data excerpt on the commonly used flake white oil paint is one example Patch shares on his website, GreenArtStudio.com, in “A Look at Toxicity in Visual Arts Materials”:
“USAGE PRECAUTIONS: Avoid spilling, skin and eye contact. Wear full protective clothing for prolonged exposure and/or high concentrations. Pregnant or breast-feeding women must not handle this product.” 
   Sounds more like an excerpt from the MSDS for nuclear waste than art paint. One can only wonder if the fox is guarding the chicken coop. “The use of these toxins is legally regulated under the classification of non-toxic by the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc (ACMI),” the environmental artist explains. “Unfortunately, the ACMI is funded by art paint
manufacturers and those producing the ingredients inside the material like the petroleum and chemical industries.”
   Active in the evolution of a people- and earth-friendly art community, Patch joins other eco-artists at events like ecoartspace’s “What Matters Most?” show and benefit in New York City in April. A collection donated by 300 artists to support the environmental efforts of ecoartspace, each piece is priced at only $150 and can be viewed at EcoArtSpaceWhatMatters- Most2010.blogspot. com. On June 28, the day of Tate Britain’s summer party celebrating BP’s 20-year sponsorship of the art gallery, Patch joined 170 others in the international art community in an unprecedented coalition from the arts condemning BP’s sponsorship of the 113-year-old British art gallery. Including signatures of masters whose works are held or have been held in collections within the gallery, an excerpt from the letter reads: “As crude oil continues to devastate coastlines and communities in the Gulf of Mexico, BP executives will be enjoying a cocktail reception with curators and artists in the Tate Britain. These relationships enable big oil companies to mask the environmentally destructive nature of their activities with the social legitimacy that is associated with such high-profile cultural associations.”
   Waking each day to a sun that grows ever hotter as it rises over our one ocean, Greg Patch has a very clear view of what eco-art is: “Artists can create great works to honor the environment, but not until we start using materials and methods that honor the environment are we accepting personal responsibility for the environment.”


Pigments with No Significant Hazards
Charcoal, Bone, Graphite & Mars Black
Ultramarine Blue, Green, Red & Violet
White #18, 23 & 24
Titanium White
Van Dyke Brown
Mars Yellow, Orange, Violet & Black
Ochre & Yellow Ochre
Yellow Oxide # 42 & 43
Metallic Gold #3
Metallic Silver
The Siennas
Sepia
Indian Red (red iron oxide)
Phthalocyanine Blue & Green
The information was compiled by artist
Greg Patch from the Environmental Management
Division of the City of Tucson’s
“Health & Safety in the Arts: A Searchable
Database of Health & Safety Information
for Artists.” To view the full database, visit
www.ci.tucson.az.us/arthazards/.

Samplings of Greg Patch’s paintings are on display ongoing at ArtExposure just south of Highway 210(Lowes) at 22527 Highway 17 North in Hampstead and at Porters Neck Yoga & Spa at 8004 Market St. in Wilmington, with an opening scheduled at Sage Salon & Spa at 7110 Wrightsville Ave., Unit A-2 in mid-September. His full portfolio can be viewed online at GreenArtStudio.com. Additional information is also available on his blog at GregPatch.blogspot.com. 910-616-9930.







Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Quantum Science and Budhism at the Mind and Life Institute and the University of Innsbruck

http://www.mindandlife.org/
//physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/3186




The similarities between Quantum Physics and Budhism are significantly similar. A series of gatherings and studies with the Dalai Lama, head of Tibetan Budhism, and quantum physicists from the Mind and Life Institute in Boulder CO and Zurich and other world reknown quantum physicists at the University of Innsbruck have independently/internationally joined to compare notes. The results are very promising toward a new perspective on who we are and how we are capable of perceiving the world/universe in a more realistic and heart full way.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz quote




Leibniz wrote; 

"Reality cannot be found except in one single source, because of the interconnection of all things with one another."






In words many have said, say now and will say, in my own words;



What is within is without / what is without is within, the microcosm is the macrocosm / the macrocosm is the microcosm, the infinite negative is the infinite positive / the infinite positive is the infinite negative, darkness is lightness / lightness is darkness. By caretaking your wholey vessel you caretake all that is. You are one. Be Well.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Tomorrow's Full Moon is at...

3º Aquarius.
"There’s a certain exuberance to the Full Moon in Aquarius this Sunday that suggests movement, and lots of it. It could be the out that we’ve all been looking for, the “open sesame” that magically creates a door in the brick wall we’ve been hitting for so long"... 
from http://realastrologers.com/full-moon-in-aquarius-july-25
enJoy!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Rainbow Day




            Rainbow Day        digital photograph          2010          ©Greg Patch

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Cementon





          Cementon       Beeswax and natural pigment on paper        22" x 47"      1989

This is a painting I did on the east bank of the Hudson River across from the Cementon cement plant that became one controversy of pollution of the river. Fortunately activists did a tremendous campaign showing the populace of a large area, into Massachsussetts, how the plant's toxic waste not only effected the river's health but the lands east that collected toxins falling from the atmosphere. The image of the face and the dead fish washed up on the shore appeared to me after I had finished the piece.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Landscape on Phragmites sp.





                                                 Landscape on Phragmites sp.    
                                                 Beeswax & natural pigment on Phragmites    
                                                 2 3/4" x 9 3/4"      
                                                 1992

This little landscape was the first of my working the beeswax and Phragmites sp.  Was so taken by the completeness of the beeswax and reed on their own that I went back and did Phragmites 1 & 2 without painting on them. This landscape on its own is a favorite in that it conveys the dream like quality of the Berkshire Mountains energetically. The early inhabitants considered the area sacred and referred to it as "no man's land".  It was shared as a place of peace even by the warring native tribes. Interestingly this has carried over into our modern day. The majority of Massachussetts and its capitol Boston citizens refer to the Northampton and Amherst area as western Mass. though its another 40 miles west through the Berkshires to the New York State line.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Monday, July 19, 2010

Phragmites 2





                  Phragmites 2      Beeswax and Phragmites      18" x 22"        1993

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Phragmites 1




                                             Phragmites 1 untitled      
                                             Beeswax on Phragmites sp
                                             17" x 36"
                                             1993                

Friday, July 16, 2010


                      
                                                                                              © Greg Patch  

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Good to refresh!





                                                       Into Wave 17


I dropped off seven paintings at ArtExposure (www.artexposure50.com) today and brought home 6 paintings that had been on display. Good to refresh!
Ocean Waves and Into Wave 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 can now be viewed at the gallery on Rt 17 in Hampstead, NC. White Wave and Yellow Wave remain on display there.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cloud Wave





Cloud Wave           Beeswax and Natural Pigment           2006        Greg Patch

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

quote



"It is not a sign of good health to be well adjusted to a sick society." - J. Krishnamurti (1895~1986)

Monday, July 12, 2010

THE ART OF SUSTAINABILITY

from Miranda Wright| July 12, 2010 | Print | Email

Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts 
http://www.sustainablepractice.org/2010/07/12/the-art-of-sustainability/


THE ART OF SUSTAINABILITY

VISUAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND THE MODERN ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT

by Jessica Broderick Lewis

Published in the Winter edition of the CSPA Quarterly.  To view or order back issues, visit http://magcloud.com/browse/Magazine/38626.  To subscribe to the CSPA QUARTERLY, join us!  http://www.sustainablepractice.org/join-the-cspa/
‘The Green Museum,’ sited in this essay, is available at our bookstore!
The goal of this study is to assess the visual arts community‘s status in the process of becoming more environmentally friendly. If visual arts organizations use the strategies presented here and choose to walk a greener path they may be able to better engage existing audiences and attract new ones, cut operating costs, generate positive public relations, increase funding opportunities, expand programming and contribute to the world’s environmental wellness.
There are five main arguments for why visual arts organizations should do their part to save the planet: impact on the  environment, role as community leaders and catalysts for change, public funding for art, saving money, and the parallels between art conservation and environmental conservation.

IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT (General)

 There are general operations utilized in most, if not all, organizations that can be assessed as having an environmental impact. The most common source of waste in businesses is the overuse of paper products, not purchasing recyclable  materials, and the improper disposal of recyclables. Moreover, materials such as ink cartridges and batteries are bought new, used and then tossed in the garbage, while the alternatives of recycled ink cartridges and rechargeable batteries are ignored. Toxic materials, which can include cleaners, paints, copy toner, printing materials and more, pose another problem for businesses and can be harmful to employees.
The most obvious impact organizations have on the environment, and often the most difficult to change, is the consumption of energy, water and electricity.  In 2008, the Environmental Information Administration estimated that “buildings represented 38.9% of U.S. primary energy use and account for 38% of all CO2 emissions”.  Additionally, it found that buildings consume 72% of U.S. electricity and 14% of all potable water per year (United States Green Building Council 4). This can be a result of the certain needs of an organization such as heating, cooling and equipment, but is often made worse by wasteful practices such as leaving lights and computers turned on, using outdated equipment, and poor insulation.
Finally, the transportation of employees, customers and audiences is important to examine for any organization. Many businesses encourage people to carpool, ride a bike or use public transportation. Others take it a more proactive approach by explaining the advantages of green transportation on their websites and offering incentives, such as metro passes for taking public transportation or alternative transportation stipends that can be used for the purchase and maintenance of Smart Cars or bikes.

IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT (Arts Specific)

All of the business practices listed above can be viewed as universal to most organizations, but within the visual arts there exists additional and often unique obstacles that need to be overcome in order to reduce the impact on our environment. Museums and galleries must be aware of how they transport their collections for traveling exhibits or moving to and from storage facilities. Authors Elizabeth Wylie and Sarah Brophy of The Green Museum assert that “next to energy use (for lighting and climate control), crating and shipping are generally seen to be the greatest resource link for institutions caring for visual and decorative art and artifacts” (200).
The safe transportation of a traveling exhibition is a top priority for museums and the delicate nature of the art requires that crating and shipping are of the highest standards. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has found that building crates that can accommodate a variety of objects in different shapes and sizes is cost effective, time efficient and better for the environment (Wylie and Brophy, The Green Museum 200).  On solution is to use Greenshipping.com, which offers       individuals and organizations the opportunity to purchase renewable energy in order to offset the carbon footprint created by your package (Green Shipping).  

ROLE AS COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CATALYSTS FOR CHANGE

Artists and arts organizations have been viewed as community leaders for decades and the choices they make often set the tone for how society approaches or reacts to certain issues and can often be a the catalyst for change. At a recent arts symposium Dr. Ford Bell, President/CEO of the American Association of Museums, offered up data that showed the ability of museums to “educate, inform and change attitudes and behavior” (Pain & Central Nervous System Week 525). The American Association of Museums feels so strongly in the power of museums to shape communities that they undertook an initiative in 1998 to explore possibilities for expanding and strengthening their presence in neighborhoods across the country. Among the many positive results was a change to the AAM’s Museum Assessment Program’s Public Dimension Assessment, a modification that holds museums to greater accountability for their image in the community (American Association of Museums).

PUBLIC FUNDING FOR THE ARTS

In an article provided by Americans for the Arts, author Anne L`Ecuyer opened her discussion of public funding for the arts by stating that “communities demonstrate their priorities and values in part by the programs and services they support with public funds” (1).  For many, the argument is that the role of a visual arts organization is to exhibit and/or collect art and to educate the public on its value – not to be leaders in environmental conservation, but how can an organization claim to serve the public, when their very policies and procedures could cause future harm to the community they exist in. If visual arts organizations desire continued funding through public dollars, they would do well to demonstrate an interest in the priorities and values of their community, which includes environmental responsibility.

SAVING MONEY

In these tumultuous economic times, a move towards green business practices can put more green in the pockets of     museums. Websites such as the U.S. Green Building Council and GreenandSave.com provide information on the initial cost of implementing green strategies, the time it will take to see a return on investment, and the dollar amount of that return, to help assess which changes are feasible for an organization. Energy is often the most costly part of operations, but there are many green alternatives that can save money over the long run. Solar energy can save an organization roughly $1,200 per year and initial costs can be recouped in only 10 to 16 years depending on appreciation of property value. Heating and cooling accounts for about 40% of an office’s energy cost – a number that can vary for museums depending on size and collections. Using radiant floors instead of a forced air system can save up to 30% on heating bills. Installing a plant-filled roof can cost about $8 to $10 a square foot, while a traditional roof costs $4 to $6 a square foot, but the green roof can save 20% on summer energy costs. Installing LED lighting requires 16% less energy and lasts 100 times longer. Additionally, there are grants and government tax incentives for making these changes (GreenandSave.com).

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION AND ART PRESERVATION

There are many within the museum community who make the connection between the preservation practices in the visual arts and the preservation of the environment. In an article entitled “Keeping Art, and Climate, Controlled” from the New York Times, journalist Carol Kino discusses the problems being caused by global warming and how museum officials are responding. She asserts that conservators have observed one rule for over 50 years: “Keep everything in the museum at approximately 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 55 percent relative humidity” and this has been made possible with the use of Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, “which typically cope with unforeseen events by working   overtime”. However museum officials have had to rethink their approach to conservation due to the increase in energy cost, decrease in museum funding and the growing effects of global warming and climate change. Kino poses the  question; “Should museums add to global warming by continuing to rely so heavily on such systems in the first place?” a question that is beginning to be examined in places such as the recent International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works conference where a panel discussion was held to look at the relationship between art conservation and environmental conservation (Kino). By understanding the relationship between art and nature, organizations will be able to better perform their role as community leader, save money, and provide additional justification for public funding for the arts.
Over the course of my research, I have learned that while there are many environmental grassroots efforts taking place in visual arts organizations across the country, there is yet to be a truly unified, systematic effort from the field as a whole.  From the research I have conducted, I have singled out three recommendations for visual arts leaders; to create discipline-wide policy and best practices for the field, to market the field’s green efforts, and to collaborate across disciplines. 

DISCIPLINE-WIDE POLICY/BEST PRACTICES IN THE FIELD

The authors of The Green Museum support the implementation of environmental policies, asserting that it “institutionalizes behavior by providing vision and frameworks, defining process, identifying goals and evaluation methods, and delegating authority” (Wylie and Brophy, The Green Museum 200). This is the vital missing piece in the move towards environmental responsibility in the visual arts community at this time. Although many organizations are making commendable strides in green initiatives, there is no overarching understanding of what the visual arts should be doing. Of the organizations    surveyed, 29% have a difficult time in changing organizational culture, something that could be made easier if there were universal environmental standards in the visual arts. 
In order to better understand what environmental policies should mean to the arts, we can brake down Wylie and Brophy’s definition into four parts; vision and framework, defining processes, identifying goals and evaluation methods, and  delegating authority. “Vision and framework” puts everyone on the same page, letting people both inside and outside our visual arts communities know our stance on environmental issues. It provides a set of best practices that organizations can measure against and it creates a supportive community where ideas and obstacles can be openly discussed. “Defining processes” involves combining the efforts of galleries and museums, consultants and engineers, and other leaders in the industry, to create a collection of industry standards. This list of standards could be incorporated into the American     Association of Museums’ accreditation process and could serve as an outline for organizations to make changes to their operations. By “identifying goals and evaluation methods” for incorporating environmental standards into museum  accreditation there will be a consistent and objective means for evaluation “Delegating authority” empowers people to take responsibility and ownership over a project, plan or program. By designating a point person within the organization to oversee environmental policies it creates greater consistency in our operations and provides employees/guests a point of contact for questions regarding environmental strategies (Wylie and Brophy, The Green Museum 200).
Beyond the organization, authority on environmental issues needs to be delegated for the entire visual arts field. It is    logical that the American Association of Museums (AAM), in conjunction with the U.S. Green Building Council, would be a likely candidate. AAM is a well respected authority in the field and is called upon for leadership in many other areas of museum management. Their accreditation program is sought after by most museums and their recommendations are trusted by the field, perfectly situating them to unite the visual arts community in its pursuit for environmental  sustainability.

MARKETING OF GREEN EFFORTS          

According to “It’s Easy Being Green” organizations are not making enough of a statement about their efforts to be green; “In fact, many recent and planned art museum expansions incorporate high-performance energy-efficient mechanical,   ventilation and lighting systems yet their press materials don’t mention the operational cost savings and environmental advantages, and the average person is hard-pressed to know or find out about them” (Brophy and Wylie, It’s Easy). Brophy and Wylie attribute the silence to an organization’s belief that green strategies are not part of their mission. However,  marketing green practices demonstrates an investment in the future of the community and provides an opportunity to  connect the organization’s mission with the environmental strategies they are using. An organization can achieve this by creating signage that explains their environmental philosophy, developing programs around green initiatives such as building tours, and incorporating the information into their website.

COLLABORATION ACROSS DISCIPLINES 

Some compelling figures from the survey regarding resources and supporting the need for collaboration include; 91% (of organizations) need increased availability of funds, 33% (of organizations) want increased resources for understanding green processes and 22% (of organizations) want green consultants. Foundations such as The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Doris Duke Foundation that support both the arts and the environment would be invaluable resources in stewarding     collaborations between the arts and environmental communities. A database with resources including green consultants, engineers, funding opportunities and more, could be created and utilized by organizations across the country. By  providing organizations with a central location to research information on green initiatives, share experiences and        obstacles and interact with others looking to make a change in the way their organization operates would provide some of the support the visual arts community needs.
As an arts community we continue to make the case of “arts for arts sake” to our local, state and national officials. We  insist, with good reason, that the arts enhance our lives and contribute to the cultural fabric of our communities. I don’t believe we can in good conscious highlight the benefits we provide to the neighborhoods we exist in without addressing areas for improvement as well. Advancing the arts in America does not need to come at the expense of our natural world and by embracing environmental responsibility within our organizations we will ensure that the art we have worked so hard to create, conserve and exhibit will be enjoyed by many generations to come. 
Jessica Broderick Lewis holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Drexel University and is on the Board of Trustees for the Northern Virginia Fine Arts Association in Alexandria, Virginia. This excerpt was taken from her paper entitled “The Art of Sustainability: Visual Arts Organizations and the Modern Environmental Movement”. For a complete copy of the paper, please visit http://www.library.drexel.edu/ or email jess_broderick@hotmail.com.

Sunday, July 11, 2010

enJoy the Eclipse... and the New Moon in Cancer


from http://www.astro.com/mtp/mtp22_e.htm


The Sun

Astronomically, the Sun is at the centre, or heart, of the solar system. Without the Sun, there would be no light or life and, indeed, no solar system. The Sun in the birth chart represents our centre of gravity and our centre of consciousness. When the Sun is shining, all is well with the world. Did anyone experience the total solar eclipse in Plymouth in 1999?
Audience: Yes, and it was a very bizarre thing. It was a gloomy day and cloudy, and as it gradually got darker I kept thinking, 'This is it,' and then it was suddenly night. Not the gradual fading of the light, like sunset, but sudden - the light just disappeared. It was very creepy. But I found the most significant thing was when the Sun appeared again after a few minutes - my heart just lifted up, and it was just a really good feeling being there.
Clare: That's very interesting, since you mentioned the lifting of your heart, and the Sun rules the heart.
Audience: Yes, it was definitely my heart.
Clare: There is also a spiritual component in what you say. We take the Sun for granted, and it is only when it dies that we appreciate how everything depends on it. With the return of the Sun, everything has meaning and purpose and everything is all right again. The wondrous light comes back. I gather that during a solar eclipse everything on the earth stops growing and literally starts to die, including us, so it is fortunate that they only last for about four minutes or so.
Audience: It was very quiet. The birds stopped singing.
Clare: Astrologically, the Sun describes the masculine principle, reliable, predictable, direct and focused, the source of our vitality and spiritual identity. Every day the Sun rises in the east, restoring light and confidence and clarity and the life force to the earth. Equally, the heat and dryness of this solar principle can burn and scorch and can be extremely dangerous, to the extent that we cannot even look at the Sun directly with the naked eye. The Sun describes what we already are in essence, but what will take the conscious striving of our life's journey to make whole and to integrate.
In Salomon Trismosin's alchemical text, Splendor solis (1582), the purified Cosmic Sun, rising from the darkness, conjoins with the Earth at the end of the alchemical work: "that which is above unites with that which is below", symbolising on a psychological level the integration of the whole personality.
Arrogance, haughtiness, pride and narcissism, for example, are a few examples of the distortion of the solar principle, the archetype of nobility, honour, integrity and personal authority. As we work to develop the solar principle, which is ultimately our conscious connection to Spirit, we learn that the full expression of the Sun involves the integration of the shadow, since there can be no light without a shadow. The achievement of our unique identity, or solar 'individuality' therefore implies that we have become 'un-divided', we have recognised and integrated both the light and dark aspects of our solar nature. Naturally, this is very difficult to do and takes a lifetime's work.
There are two particularly appropriate Greek myths which describe the dangers of trying to harness the Sun's power too young. This is an act of hubris, an identification with the gods, and is always punished. One is the myth of Phaëton, son of the Sun-god Helios, who induced his father to allow him to drive the chariot of the Sun across the heavens for one day. The horses, feeling their reins held by an inexperienced hand, ran wildly out of their course and came close to the earth threatening to burn it. Zeus noticed the danger and destroyed Phaeton. The other is the myth of Icarus, son of Daedalus, who built wings from feathers and wax and, overwhelmed by the thrill of flying and not heeding his father's warning, flew too close to the Sun, whereupon the wax in his wings melted and he fell into the sea.
Audience: But if the Sun is our core identity, how can it take a lifetime to find it?
Clare: This is an interesting question, considering that it is Sun-sign astrology which is so popular, so widely used and recognised. From a psychological point of view, the interpretation of the Sun in a birth chart is much more complex, partly because it has so many different levels of meaning and expression. I think the answer to your question is that our relationship to the Sun in our charts changes throughout our lives. It is not unusual, for example, for people to actively dislike their own Sun signs. This is a good indication that a more positive relationship can and must be forged, since the positive expression of the Sun in a chart implies a true connection to oneself and a deep level of self-acceptance. Because the Sun also describes our spiritual consciousness, it is a truly awesome and powerful astrological symbol which is far too great for us to realise when we are young. It therefore tends to be projected onto, or carried by, father or male carers or father-figures for the first half of our lives, until we have built a strong enough ego and are mature enough to express the full majesty of the solar principle for ourselves.
Audience: So it is essentially unconscious?
Clare: Exactly right, because we are not born fully conscious. The principle of consciousness begins by being unconscious.
Audience: It may take a lifetime to realise the Sun consciously, but surely we are all living out the characteristics of our Sun signs, aren't we? Otherwise we wouldn't recognise the Sun-sign descriptions so easily? For example, children seem to be very pure examples of their Sun signs, although I have noticed that they tend to lose this as they grow up. They lose that instinctive vibrancy as they learn to deal with the outside world.
Clare: Yes, as they get socialised, they stop being spontaneously themselves. As we grow up we are taught not to be selfish, to share our toys, to put others first. Once we are out of our babyhoods, we are taught that we are not the only special unique individuals in the world, but simply one of a group with which we are expected to conform. And so we adapt and adjust ourselves to the expectations of others. We begin the journey away from our central spiritual core and towards full involvement with the world, a journey which will, hopefully, lead us back to ourselves eventually, but this time consciously and in a more mature and integrated fashion. It is a long journey to the Sun.
My own view is that as we become socialised and develop an ego identity in order to function effectively in the world, we often take on the qualities of the sign opposite the Sun. In other words, we often manifest the polar opposite of what we really are in essence. This is worth thinking about for yourselves when we look at the meaning of the signs, but in my experience people often function as if their Sun's were in the opposite sign. This seems to be a natural part of the process of development. Eventually, our fully conscious identity seems to involve the integration of our own internal opposites, both the light and the dark sides of our solar nature. In my own work with clients, I find that it can be very helpful to focus on the conscious integration of the Sun's opposite sign and on the development of the planets which are traditionally in their detriment and fall in the Sun's sign. This helps me to see the solar principle in a wider context, as the fully integrated and mature centre of an individual's identity and indivisibility. We will look at this in more depth when we explore the expression of the Sun in each sign.
Audience: When do we become conscious?
Clare: Well, of course there are no guarantees. However, we can look at this in terms of Jung's concept of individuation. Jung believed that our lives fall naturally into two halves, with the first half involving the development of the ego, which is our sense of conscious identity, forged out of our responses to the environment into which we are born. We learn to function effectively in the world, we become socialised, develop personal skills and make relationships. During this time, various parts of our psyches remain unknown or undeveloped, as we adapt and adjust ourselves to the expectations of the outside world. The process of individuation, which is said to begin around the age of thirty-seven, involves the conscious integration of those aspects of our psyche which have, until then, remained undeveloped and unknown to us.
Audience: So the age of thirty-seven is the turning of the tide? Jung had a mental breakdown at that age, didn't he? He did most of his major work after that.
Clare: Yes, it was certainly the turning point in his life. We can look at this timing from an astrological point of view as well. It is not unusual for us to think we have got everything sorted by our mid thirties, but there are some extremely powerful transits which occur at the end of our thirties and beginning of our forties which present us with what feel like completely new challenges, the experience of which are often life changing.
Audience: My father was thirty-seven when he found out for the first time who his real father was.
Clare: This is a very concrete example of what we are talking about, since the Sun is the symbol of our identity, and when your father discovered his biological identity I imagine this gave him a completely new sense of himself.
Audience: Yes, he certainly changed quite radically, and took a new direction in life from that time.