Circles In Space - Mission Statement
In last week’s newsletter, I discussed New York City labyrinths and how we can use labyrinths to slow down, meditate and contemplate as we follow the winding path until we arrive at the center. I was surprised to learn that my local park has a labyrinth; I see it almost everyday but never realized it’s purpose (I thought it was just an interesting design. This idea of returning to something I’d seen before and understanding it in a new light, along with the form of the labyrinth itself, which does not follow a straight path to the center, reminded me of the philosophy behind Circles In Space.
After I published the newsletter, it dawned on my that I haven’t written about the meaning behind the name so I’d like to take a moment to discuss this.
Circles In Space is my personal philosophy, my worldview and a way of living. When I first created my blog (which began as a humble blogger) I wanted to give it a name. I began to think about a broader mission. I looked within my self and to nature. Somehow I began ruminating on the idea that throughout my life, whether through experiences, in writing, my thoughts or through walking, I feel that I tend to operate in a circular, spiral or cyclical pattern. I do not feel that I live in such a linear fashion most of the time. While it seems to me that others and the rest of the world moves from point A to Point B, I am always revisiting things from the past, moving away, then circling back. This is both a my way of living and how my life unfolds.
A note from a 3.9.21 notebook entry about the
philosophy behind Circles In Space.
Here are a few examples of circles in space:
My favorite example to describe this phenomenon is : when I hear a song for the first time but it doesn’t grab me until years later, when it feels like the perfect moment to have heard it again. The same is true for books or anything else. Things have different meaning at different stages of life. If I’m moving from point A to point B in a linear fashion, I might not be open or accepting of the idea that life is cyclical, seasonal.
Walking is another example. I walk to explore my environment and also to think through things. Usually I follow the same general path with slight variations. By doing this over time, I experience the same street, park or neighborhood throughout the year, noting the changing of the light on the trees during different seasons or the normal weekday happenings in contrast to the weekend.
Seasons are a cycle of nature. I find that I can best experience the passing of time through the changing of seasons, for example when winter rolls around again at the end of the year, I really truly, deeply feel that another year has gone by.
There are plenty of examples of circles, cycles, spheres, etc in nature. Take spirals - the Fibonacci spiral, the golden spiral and more, which appear in plants, animals, and galaxies.
Circular or cyclical time is usually associated with eastern religions. In Hinduism and Buddhism, there is no beginning, no end, and time marches on endlessly as we are reincarnated, continuing the cycle.
This website’s ‘invocation’ which perfectly encapsulates Circles In Space:
“…the power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round.. The sky is round and I have heard the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. The wind in its greatest power whirls, birds make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours.”
This brings me to the philosophy as it plays out in my writing. I absorb information over time. Perhaps this is why I enjoy reading and writing so much. I need to take in the information, absorb it, take notes, and then return to it later, to review and learn more. This blog and my newsletter are perfect examples - I might jump into a topic I know nothing about, then return to it a few months later and do a deeper dive.
While I write this, I think it’s important to note that I articulated this philosophy or worldview in March 2021. I again find myself returning to this idea almost two years later. Certainly there is a cycle at play here. After all, I’m just making circles in space.
