The sun hung low in the sky as Aric and Lyra sat on a weathered stone bench in a courtyard of GrailHeart. “The air floated in the coolness of the fading day, while Aric’s heart sank, heavy with quiet frustration.”
“I don’t know if I can keep doing this,” Aric confessed, his voice low. “No matter how much effort I put into my work, it never feels like enough. I pour myself into it, but in the end, it just feels… hollow.”
Lyra turned to him, her gaze steady. “Why do you think that is?” (more…)
A guest post by GrailHeart Wanderer in Residence Luca di Benedetto
There are some days when the world feels like it’s pressing down on you, like it’s all just too much. The kind of day when the questions and doubts pile up faster than you can shove them away. I used to spend those days chasing answers, frantically sketching, writing, doing anything to feel like I was moving forward. But these days, I try to do something different. I try to just sit still.
Right now, I’m sitting in my studio. The light’s coming through the window at that perfect late-afternoon angle, the kind that makes everything feel a little softer. My sketchbook is open in my lap, but I haven’t touched the pencil. There’s no rush. (more…)
There comes a time in every traveler’s life when the road ahead is hidden in fog, and each step presses into the ground with the weight of undreamt dreams. When the familiar warmth of sunlight gives way to the clammy, wispy shadows that float between us and the answers that elude us. It’s in these moments, when certainty turns out to be swampy ground beneath our feet, that the path feels most unsteady. I’ve walked many such roads in my years as a wandering scholar, chasing burning questions that seemed tangible enough, but often ended up evaporating like smoke. Though I’ve traveled the world in search of wisdom, I’ve found that true understanding slips from the grasp as easily as the mist I so often find myself walking through. (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the spurs with ‘perseverance’: (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the saddle with ‘confidence’: (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the horse’s shaffron (armor protecting the horse’s head) with ‘reason’: (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the horse’s bridle with ‘courtesy’: (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the knight’s shield with ‘dignity’: (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace. (more…)
The Book of the Order of Chivalry (c. 1275), was written by Ramon Llull (1232–1315), a polymath and Christian mystic from Majorca. Llull thought that knights should be chosen, trained, and ordained like priests. Llull’s book became a handbook of chivalry throughout much of Europe. Being a Christian mystic, of course he writes about Chivalry using Christian vocabulary. But I think his ideas transcend any particular Spiritual Tradition.
Llull wrote over 250 books on a wide range of subjects, including theology, philosophy, logic, science, and even poetry. (And one on Chivalry!) He is best known for his book Ars Magna — a groundbreaking philosophical and logical system that aimed to uncover universal truths using mathematics — now considered the invention of Mathematical Combinatorics. He was also known for his interest in memory and logical systems more generally: his method of linking virtues to physical objects is an example of the ancient memory technique known as the Memory Palace.
An overview of the Order of Chivalry, and a linked table of contents to all my blogs (with music) on various chapters of Llull’s book can be found HERE.
Here Llull equates the knight’s collar (an armored collar worn around his neck) with ‘obedience’: (more…)