THE GENESIS OF MY AWARENESS

Artwork: "Wonder", Alex Grey, 1996 (source)
THE GENESIS OF MY AWARENESS 

1 In the beginning,
    before words or memories,
      there was a Great Mystery:
        a raging wildfire of bodies,
          burning westward,
        which breathed the spark of life
          upon my body and my mind

2 And my mind was formless and void
  Darkness was upon the face of my mind
  And the second Great Mystery of My Awareness
    moved over the face of my mind

3 And My Awareness said:
    Let there be light
  And some of the darkness was different

4 And I saw that this difference was light,
    and that it was good
  And my mind separated the light 
    from the darkness

5 And I called the light: certainty
  And the darkness I called: fear
  And in the evening,
    when the light faded,
      I became afraid
  Because I did not know
    if the light would return
  And in the morning,
    when the light returned,
      I saw that my fear
        was the shadow of my desire
  And it was good

6 My first emotion on my first day

---

7 And I said:
    Let there be an expanse 
      in the midst of my mind,
    And let it separate my mind from my mind
  And my mind made the expanse,
    and separated my perceptions,
      which were under the expanse,
    from my imagination,
      which was above the expanse
  And it was so

8 And I called my imagination: self
  And in the evening,
    when the light faded,
      I again became afraid
  Yet there was still light in my imagination
  And it was good
  And I called 
     this light of my imagination: hope

9 My second emotion on my second day

---

10 And I said:
     Let my imagination be gathered together 
       unto My Awareness
   And dry land appeared
   And it was so

11 And I called the dry land: earth
   And the gathering together of the waters 
     I called: the seas
   And I saw that it was good

12 And I looked closer at the earth,
     and it had grass
   And closer still,
     I saw the herb
       yielding seed
   And closer still,
     I saw the fruit tree,
       yielding fruit after its kind,
         whose seed is in itself
   And I saw that looking closer was good
   And I called this third emotion: wonder

13 And the evening and the morning 
     were the third day 
       of my third emotion

---

14 And I, looked closer, at the sky,
    and there were lights in the sky
      which gave light upon the Earth
        and divided the day from the night
   And I saw in them signs, 
     and seasons,
       and days,
         and years
   And I was filled with wonder

15 And I looked closer at the lights,
     and there were two Great Lights
   The greater light to rule the day,
     which I called: the Sun
   And the lesser light to rule the night,
     which I called: the Moon
   And I looked closer at the night sky,
     and there were smaller lights,
       which I called: the stars
   And I saw that it was good

16 And I happened upon 
     dark clouds blanketing the sky,
       which shrouded the light
         given upon the Earth
   And I again became afraid
   Because I did not know
     if the fullness of the light would return

17 And looking closer,
     I ascended into the mists 
       of the high mountains
   And I rose above the clouds
   And I saw that the sky
     always gave light upon the Earth
   And my fear subsided
   And I became certain: 
     the light is always with me
   And it was good
   And I called this fourth emotion: love

18 And the evening and the morning 
     were the fourth day 
       of my fourth emotion

---

19 And I looked closer at the seas,
     and there were abundant moving 
       creatures which had life:
         great whales,
         and fish that swim,
         and strange creatures that move,
     all after their kind

20 And I looked closer at the sky,
     and there were birds,
       which flew above the Earth,
         in the open expanse far above

21 And I looked closer at the earth,
     and the earth brought forth 
       abundant moving creatures
         which had life:
           cattle,
           and creeping things,
           and beasts of the earth,
     all after their kind

22 And I blessed them all saying:
     be fruitful and multiply,
     and fill the waters in the seas,
     and fill the sky far above,
     and let all the living creatures 
       multiply upon the Earth

23 And I was filled with love for them
   And I desired to be good unto them
   And I desired to share goodness with them
   And it was good
   And I called this fifth emotion: grace

24 And the evening was 
     the fifth day 
       of my fifth emotion

---

25 And I happened upon still waters,
     and in the reflection 
       looked closer at my own body
   And I saw that my body must also be made
     in the image of my kind,
       after their likeness

26 And I said:
     Let my imagination gather together 
       the image of my kind
     And Self appeared
   And it was so

27 And I looked closer at Self,
   and I foresaw that nothing prevented 
     the dominion of Self,
       over the creatures of the sea,
       and over the birds of the air,
       and over every living thing 
         which will live upon the Earth

28 And I blessed my reflected face
     and I said unto Self:
       be fruitful and multiply,
       and replenish the Earth,
       and hold it carefully
     Watch over the creatures of the sea,
       and the birds of the air,
       and over every living thing 
         which lives upon the Earth
   And I was filled with grace, 
     for Self

29 And I said unto Self:
     Behold,
     I have foreseen the finding
       of every herb yielding seed,
         which will be upon the face 
           of all the earth,
       and every tree,
         in which is the fruit 
           of a tree yielding seed
     And I have foreseen the finding
       of every creature of the sea,
       and every bird of the air,
       and every living thing 
         which will live upon the Earth
     To you it shall be to choose: 
       sustenance or grace
     And as all living things are nourished 
       by life,
     It is for them to choose: 
         sustenance or grace

30 And the morning 
     was the fifth day 
       of my fifth emotion

---

31 And I looked closer at Self,
     and I saw the spark of life, 
       kindling my mother and my father
   And closer still,
     I saw the kindling of their mothers 
       and their fathers
   And closer still,
     I saw the kindling of ancestor 
       upon uncountable ancestor
   A raging wildfire of bodies,
     burning westward,
     whose unseen origin
        was ever-beyond the gaze 
           of all eastward looking
   The first Great Mystery

32 Thus was my body created in the image
     of the first Great Mystery
   And my mind in the image
     of the second Great Mystery 
       of My Awareness
   Mother and Father after their kind

33 And I saw all these things 
     were emanations of Great Mystery
   And I was filled with Great Desire
     to look closer
   Yet looking closer at Great Mystery
     yielded no certain 
       form 
         or cause 
           or purpose

34 And the Moon eclipsed the Sun
   And the darkness danced with my desire
   And mystery became a mirror for forms
   And I was filled with Great Fear and Wonder
     of not-knowing

35 And I wept
   And I shook
   And Behold, it was very good
   And I called this sixth emotion: mystery

36 And the evening was 
     the sixth day 
       of my sixth emotion

---

37 And I was overcome by mystery
   And I surrendered my mind to mystery
   And I spoke stories unto Self,
       and forms 
         and causes 
            and purpose,
     which transmuted my Great Fear
   And it was good

38 Thus was my imagination ready
       for my emotions 
       and my perceptions 
     of my life to come
   And My Awareness 
     the gentle host of them all

39 And the morning was
     the sixth day 
       of my sixth emotion

---

40 And on the seventh day,
     I ended my work-play 
       which I had begun
   And I rested on the seventh day 
     from all my work-play
   
41 And I sat in silence
   and I was filled with love
     and wonder
     and grace
     and mystery
     and fear
     and hope

42 And my emotions 
     and my perceptions 
       transformed my imagination
   And it was good
   And I called this seventh emotion: 
     gratitude

43 And the evening and the morning 
     were the seventh day 
       of my seventh emotion

G.D. Lance ©2023

Artwork: “The Observer”, Silver Arrow Art, 2017 (source)

Artwork: “Hangmoon”, Alexander Komarov, 2016 (source)

Artwork: Zoomed selection of “The Lovers”, Remedios Varo, 1963 (source)

Artwork: Untitled, Female Pentimento (source)

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