Mundane Book

Creating Mundane Relish has brought me back to a very good book that I once read two years ago: Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday Life by Thomas Moore.

Despite this book's title, it is a psychology book and not a religion book. So don't let the word "soul" prevent you from seeing this book's relation to Mundane Relish. Read some quotes, and see what I mean:

"When you look closely at the concept of soulfulness, you see that it is tied to life in all its particulars - good food, satisfying conversation, genuine friends, and experiences that stay in the memory and touch the heart. Soul is revealed in attachment, love, and community, as well as in retreat on behalf of inner communing and intimacy."

"Living artfully might require taking the time to buy things with soul for the home. Good linens, a special rug, or a simple teapot can be a source of enrichment not only in our life, but also in the lives of our children and grandchildren. The soul basks in this extended sense of time. But we can't discover the soul in a thing without first taking the time to observe it and be with it for a while."

"Ritual maintains the world's holiness. As in a dream a small object may assume significance, so in a life that is animated by ritual there are no insignificant things."

"Care of the soul...appreciates the mystery of human suffering and does not offer the illusion of a problem-free life. It sees every fall into ignorance and confusion as an opportunity to discover that the beast residing at the center of the labyrinth is also an angel.
The Greeks told the story of the minotaur, the bull-headed flesh-eating man who lived at the center of the labyrinth. He was a threatening beast, and yet his name was Asterion-Star.
We have to care for this suffering with extreme reverence so that, in our fear and anger at the beast, we do not overlook the star."

Thomas Moore, Care of the Soul

The last quote has little or no relation to the original purpose of Mundane Relish, albeit it is a segue for things to come. Most likely, you'll see more of my "fall into ignorance and confusion" in the next blog entries. But I also hope you "do not overlook the star."