Wayfaring IV: The Hermit

In the shadow of the temple my friend and I saw a blind man sitting alone.  And my friend said, “Behold the wisest man of our land.” Then I left my friend and approached the blind man and greeted him. And we conversed. After a while I said, “Forgive my question; but since when has thou been blind?” “From my birth,” he answered. Said I, “And what path of wisdom followest thou?” Said he, “I am an astronomer.” Then he placed his hand upon his breast saying, “I watch all these suns and moons and stars.”

- Kahlil Gibran

Last week we practiced feeling what it is to lose what you love, to sacrifice something in order to discover a deeper truth. We’re stepping further into the cave this week…

It is dark and difficult to distinguish where the walls are or the outside, it is like a stony wilderness. And there are shifting shadows and a fire that reflects your feeling, projecting your thoughts and your truth back to you in the flame. A memory and a face and a place that you’ve hidden, but here, before this spark, it is bright and afire. You have been here in this solitude for a while, committed to the searching. And now you can see it and you sing it and breathe it and allow it to live.

This week we will step into the hermitage. We’ve danced through the first threshold and find ourselves in the unknown wilderness place. We have made a choice to leave accepted society, to leave behind all we know, and now we stand here alone and faced with ourselves. What are we searching for? What do we believe? In which direction in truth?

Here is a moment to reconnect with a truth in yourself that you have hidden. Something only possible to see in the shadowy fire of the hermitage, in patient and profound work, in solitude and commitment to the finding.

We will work in our own space this session. We will collect a task from the hermitage and we will journey to our inner lands to bring sound and light to a truth that burns in the shadow.  We'll make this truth wearable in clay.

You'll have the option to have your made pieces fired, if you would like them fired I'm suggesting a £3 donation to cover the cost of bisque firing, or £5 for bisque and glaze firing. Cheers :)

What to expect:

• Making with clay
• Working in own space
• Some group sharing
• Free writing

What to bring:

• Your own notebook / journal and pen if you'd prefer to use them
• There will be water, tea, and snacks, but if you'd like anything else feel free to bring it
• There's no need to bring ‘messy clothes’ or an apron for the clay work

Getting here…

Walking - you can walk here from Glasgow city centre in 30 minutes

Cycling - you can leave your bike in a secure bike store inside the building

Bus - 38, 38B, 38C from Glasgow City Centre

Train - Nearest station to the studio is Bellgrove which is a 15 minute walk from the studio. There is also a direct train from Edinburgh Waverley to Bellgrove station.

Car - There is a free car park on site

I kindly ask you to arrive at least five minutes before our start time. Starting late can mean less time for sharing which is a time full of precious moments.

Cancellations and refunds

If you know you cannot make it, please let me know as soon as you do. There may be someone waiting for a place who would appreciate the notice.

I ask for at least 3 days notice prior to the event for cancellation. I know sometimes this isn't possible. But unfortunately I won't be able to offer a refund otherwise.

Thank you for your understanding ☆

Tickets are pay what you can, if you think you'd find a guide to this helpful I've made one you can access here. If you feel like £12 is tricky and you feel called to come, send me an email.

(There is an obscurity to all this.. which requires an amount of faith and trust in ye intuition.. if it feels too unclear for you to step forward, please reach out to me at mudandroot@gmail.com and I can answer any questions you may have)