“In everyone’s inner solitude there is that bright and warm hearth. The idea of the unconscious, even though it is a very profound and wonderful idea, has sometimes frightened people away from coming back to their own hearth.
We falsely understand the subconscious as the cellar where all of our repression and self-damage is housed. Out of our fear of ourselves we have imagined monsters down there.
Yeats says, “Man needs reckless courage to descend into the abyss of himself.” In actual fact, these demons do not account for all the subconscious. The primal energy of our soul holds a wonderful warmth and welcome for us.
One of the reasons we were sent onto the earth was to make this connection with ourselves, this inner friendship.”*
~ John O’Donohue
No matter how we judge ourselves, there is a deeper loving center within us all. It takes courage to go there and makes friends with what is in the dark.
I love the idea of having our own hearth ready to welcome us home.
* O’Donohue, John. Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom (pp. 99-100). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Find Your Middle Ground 
This is beautiful, Val. Your photo is perfect, too! Are those your dogs? They’re beautiful!
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Thank you Jill💛 On the left is Teddy and on the right is Dilys… wilting in the heat. The older one (Meghan) knows not to hang about the fire and get over heated!
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Go within . . . and enjoy a warm “welcome home” greeting.
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Beautifully said Nancy. Thanks❣️
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It looks like a Scottish hearth to me, hope you had a good holiday. And yes I agree with all that you’re saying although sometimes I think the complete opening may not have happened to me yet, I’m aware of it…
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Follow the warmth T, it will take you there 💛 I had a good time in Scotland. Short and sweet is best for all! The stove is a Jokel and I think comes from Germany. It’s a warm welcome home in many ways. Happy New Year! I am hope you are settling in to the singular country existence ❣️
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Beautiful reminder Val. Connecting to this precious space is home. 🙂
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Thank you Karen 💕
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There are two lines of thought on the nature of our human soul. One says it is rotten down to the very core, the other speaks of a pure heart living in a corrupt environment. My view based on my experiences is that the good and the evil are inextricably intertwined, which means as long as live the human soul is a battleground between good and evil. I know that this is not what your thought provoking post is trying to say. But I responded in the hope of providing some additional food for thought.
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Thank you Peter for sharing the 2 approaches that are part of Judo-Christian philosophy. Eastern philosophy embraces the idea of oneness and lets go of the idea of the fight between good and evil as constructs of the human mind. Nature on the other hand embraces ebbs and flow, Yin and yang. Intertwined opposites that bring harmony to life. There is no battle, since one cannot survive without the other and both must be preserved.
Thank you for adding to the conversation. I appreciate it 💛
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What a nice way of saying we do not have to achieve or conquer anything or anyone, perfection is already waiting for us inside.
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Thank you Marty for this warming comment 💛
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I very much love this idea too Val.
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I can tell. Thank you my Celtic friend 💛
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❤
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I love O’Donohue. Such wisdom in this piece. I remember being terrified of what lay within, raised fundamentalist as I was. I think that makes for a particular kind of fright, because not only am ‘I’ eternally deficient, but there’s a monster God about to strike me down for simple error. So glad I left all that behind, dared to face the unknown/darkness, only to end up plumbing it for the richness that it offered up.
Great post, Val. Aloha.
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Thanks so much Bela. The idea of a stern disciplinarian Overseer was part of my growing up too. The beliefs we humans embrace in order to feel more in control – and have control over others – still makes me sad and mad. Lets keep seeking the treasures in the dark. 💕
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❤
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This is lovely, Val. I also like the idea of having our own hearth, and a wonderful way of explaining connecting to our inner self.
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Thank you Michele for your warm hearthed comment 💛
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Thank you for this and the photo of the adorable hot terriers!
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Thank you Shielagh 💛
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John O’Donohue’s writings are incredible. Great reminder to me to blow the dust of some titles I have here at home. Love the photo. Do give your precious dogs a cuddle from Jeannie and me.
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Thank you Paul. I hope you are doing well and in full recovery now! Enjoy dusting off those books my friend 💛
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Excellent point
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Thank you Derrick 💛
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Wonderful Wisdom Val, and such a great reminder as we embark upon our New Year to remember our own Hearth is where lies our hearts. For if we really look within, We have all the fuel we will ever need to keep us warm and safe..
Love and Blessings Val.. 🧡
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We do. We do. Thank you dear Sue 💕
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I love the warmth of a fire, there is nothing like it – as is so with our inner hearth! Great message Val and a nice reminder to go inside for a warm up with my heart!
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Thank you Donna 💛
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Such beauty and wisdom here, Val, thanks for sharing. And I love the photo ❤
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Thanks Julie. We are all feeling the warmth around here 💛
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I love the concept of “inner friendship” and the imagery of the inner hearth – both representing warmth welcoming us home.
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Thank you Helen 🔥
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Love the Yeats quote shared within the O’Donohue quote Val.
So true.
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Thank you Gabe. Happy this resonated with you too 💕
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He had it so figured out. Beautiful.
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John O’donohue always manages to put things into perspective for me….”The primal energy of our soul holds a wonderful warmth and welcome for us.”…I love this! 🙂
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Keep tuning inwards with kindness 💕
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Yes I will, thanks, Val! xxxx
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