No Straight Lines in Nature
That commonplace of art instruction is true: From the rainbow to the tomato worm And in the rhythms of our chambered hearts Creation curves itself around our lives A straight line is of the…
Month: September 2022
Why I Believe in God
"In the beginning it created Elohim."- The Zohar "At the center of the universe dwells the Great Spirit and that center is really everywhere, it is within each of us."- Black Elk I was…
Tolkien the Religious Man
Tolkien was always very outspoken about his religion, proudly stressing his belonging to the Roman-Catholic rite. The importance of faith in his life and its effects on his writing has been explored, more so than…
Someday a New Arthur
“Chasing Chaucer and Beowulf out of the Curriculum” -Spectator Someday a new Merlin among the ruins Will give a new Arthur a trove of hidden books: Chaucer and Milton, Shakespeare, Coleridge, Keats And…
Castle Carduel
Castle Carduel stood out imposingly, like an eastern offshoot of the Dragon Mountains, which gradually sloped down until they were almost reflected in the waters of Crimson Lake. Once at that time, the life of…
Word Sung as Light
Upon hearing a recording of the Orthodox Christian Monks of the Svetogorskaya Monastery A deep, slow stream of tones, of modes, of chants Where time and all eternity flow as one Through voices and…
Rabia’s Heart of One Love
Introduction Rabia al-Adawiyya I first discovered when I was very young. From the moment I read about her, I was instantly enamoured with an admiration that has never faded. She is among the earliest of…
Storm-Tossed
Summary: Ereinion Gil-galad’s life was never easy. Born into war-torn Beleriand, sent to Círdan for fostering, he was High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth to a very diverse group of people. But sometimes…the most…
The Nature of Good and Evil in Tolkien’s Stories
Disclaimer: This article follows my article The Underlying Christianity of Tolkien’s stories The nature of good and evil is the last area of research to comment on now. Actually, a considerable number of the…