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Lord Thomas’s Page

December A.S. 20

My Lady and I were recently able, through good fortune, to sojourn in the lands of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland (with a brief raid into France). Therein, we saw many sights of awe and beauty; sometimes gentle and quiet, sometimes dramatic and breath taking. It is my hope to be able to share some of my impressions of some of this in the future. But the experience of having the Current Middle Ages for a time and journing to the lands of the original Middle Ages, has caused me to reflect on what we have here in our time. In this article, I would like to share some thoughts I have on this.

While in England, we visited Westminster Abbey, Canterbury Cathedral and York Minster. We were duly in awe at the sight of these magnificent edifices which, although made of stone, seemed to joyously leap skyward; the marvelous dazzling of the stained glass which, when catching the sun's light, glittered and shone as the jewelled ransom fee of an empire; and the lofty, airy ceilings with wide spanning arches which crisscrossed hundreds of feet over our heads. All this might have made one feel small and insignificant as one person suggested when I began to describe my feelings upon setting foot in those breathtaking precincts. And, yes, there is this. I think that in such surroundings, even the largest ego would be put in its place. There is a certain tendency to walk about in absolute wonderment at the soaring beauty that pulls and tugs one about with mouth hanging open.

But there is more. There is that which rather than reducing the human spirit to a groveling heap, invites, nay, urges the soul, the heart and the mind to break free of their earthly constraints, to transcend ego and to become one with the heavens. It is this urge to exalt the human spirit and to transcend commonality and base selfishness which I felt most directly applies to our efforts and ideals here, most particularly in what we call "The Dream." As has been said elsewhere, "The Dream" is many things to many people, each expressing it in his or her own way. I prefer to look at it as the many colours that emanate from a prism into which a pure white light is focused. What is white but a blending of all colours?

To me it is as a cathedral of the mind, a lofty spire that seeks to reach ever upward as the purest bird attaining flight. Its windows are of every hue and bathe every corner in endless rainbows of light, banishing the darkness that would cheapen and stultify life. It leaps out of and away from the utilitarian philosophy that all that is important is material gain and social status. That prevailing philosophy which deadens creativity by reducing us to working degrees. Only occasionally are we let loose to follow the common socially acceptable leisure pursuits which keep us alive enough to go back for more.

The light of this dream would also seek to pierce the dimness of spirit that we find, alas, everywhere, even in our own midst. All too often do we encounter people whose exaltation of their own self importance can only be accomplished by pushing others down, by damaging them in some way. In a vain attempt to increase their own feelings of worth, they find it necessary to reduce that of others. They would constantly measure themselves against others, feeling superior to those they deem below and seeking to attach themselves to those they regard as high. Thus, they would "raise" themselves.

But in succumbing to the temptation to "raise" themselves in this way, they only succeed in pulling themselves down as well as driving away many people who may have had much to offer us all. But due to the short sighted callousness of those whose only dreams are to raise themselves to lord it over others rather than help others rise, we'll never know. In some circles it is called "backstabbing" and "social climbing;" in others it has a different name.

But it is this "Dream," this "Cathedral of the Mind," that seeks.to draw us upwards from this dull clay, much as a flower grows out ward from the earth to spread its unique beauty in the sun. The ideals of courtesy, chivalry, and honour constantly, albiet gently, urge us to shed this baseness of soul and behavior, to strive toward a joining of one's own colour with all others.

This does not mean merely observing the outer forms, such as being a nice guy on the field, kissing ladies' hands and being polite. It means constantly striving to become a more considerate, thoughtful, caring person in the innermost fibres of your soul; not merely to act the part, but for your actions to be a direct reflection of what is within you. The clarity of a stream only reflects the purity of its source.

In short, not only act chivalrous, but be chivalrous. Beat down those gargoyles of the heart when they impel you toward selfishness and falseness, send them back into the darkness from whence they came. Make the windows of your cathedral of the purest glass and the brightest colours, and raise them up to greet and capture the morning sun.

In Service to the Dream

Lord Thomas Buttesthorn

 



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