Welcome to

SHIVA

Spiritual Healing Inspiring Visual Arts

 We are a group of Spiritual Healers, Artists, Musicians and Dancers.

 

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The White Heather

Protector and Healer of Souls

I was different – set apart from other children. Alone in my own version of the world, I was a shadow – seen but not noticed, stepped on and pushed aside without thought or consideration.

Kept in isolation, my world was one of fear and darkness. A world where I was afraid to move, to speak, to make a noise, to even eat or drink without permission. I was lost and alone, my eyes always fixed firmly upon the ground.

I lived only to serve and please the people who adopted me. They were my saviours and my only link to life. Any minuscule drop of praise was soaked up and treasured by my heart. I craved the love for which I was never worthy.

My companion back then was Whisky, a black and tan terrier of dubious parentage.

He was my friend, my playmate, my teacher, my protector. We shared everything – food, shelter, and a particular kind of love. But Whisky was old and he left before I had a chance to really get to know him. His legacy, however, was an appreciation, an understanding, an unbounded love of all creatures, and a higher knowledge of what goes on in the mind of the canine entity we call ‘dog’.

My life moved on and I grew physically. I was healthy and robust even though my emotional development was stunted. I revelled in the small happinesses and cowered in the dark. In the presence of my parents I neither laughed nor cried. I was neither seen nor heard.

They took me in and gave me a home. Therefore, I was in their debt forever. I was owned by them. I had nothing that they didn’t give me and I was grateful for it.

My existence always hung in the balance. At any time, if I didn’t do and say what I was told to, they could send me back. So I obeyed without question.

But I knew I was different. In the midst of all that was extinguished by the cruelty of my reality, there was a spark.

While the sun shone, while the birds sang, while the flowers bloomed, I was surrounded by love. Love filled my heart and my whole being. The world was turning and I could feel it. I was a part of it.

Even when, at the age of 14, I was driven to the point of suicide, that spark would not allow me to die.

With a razor held against my arm I looked into the bathroom mirror. Behind me stood a man. Just an ordinary man, but one who’s eyes reflected a thousand sorrows and joys beyond my understanding. I dropped the razor.

“Why?” I cried. “Why do I have to live in a world where I can see no future, no hope, no love, no life. Why can’t I end this pain and start again? Why…..?”

“My dear sister, your pain tears at my heart, but your life cannot end here. You have been given great gifts. You must live long enough to learn how and when to use them.”

“I don’t want gifts. I just want the pain to end.”

“What has been given to you, you cannot give back. Look in the mirror. See those ancient eyes of yours. You have already seen the worst and best that man can be. Now you must learn to understand him. You must learn to love him as you love all creatures of the world. You must learn to heal his broken soul and restore balance and harmony as you do with all the other animals.”

“Why?”

“I gave your mother a name when you were born. I had her name you for the white heather that grows where the sun kisses the meadows. You are the protector against evil, the spark of light in the darkness. You see what others cannot. You understand what they are not given to understand. You feel what they cannot feel. If you look for hope, you will not find it. You are hope. Why do you look for love when you are love? But as yet, you are still a child. Before you can learn to live for you, you must first learn to live for life itself. Love for love itself. Hope for hope alone. You must learn to feel, understand and love the power and the majesty of all you are. Then you will be who you are. I believe in you as you believe in me.”

I blinked and he was gone.

The reflection in the mirror was the same as it always was when I looked back at it. Gangly, ugly, skin so ravaged it was painful. Nobody could love what I saw in that reflection. Nobody could see past the ugliness of the outer cover. No-one wanted to. I was reviled, stared at, made fun of and turned away from everywhere I went. I was the butt of every practical joke and cruel innuendo.

But there was something in those eyes if I dared to look. Ancient eyes. They could be a blue as deep as the night sky, as grey as a cloudy day, or as deep a green as any ocean. Those eyes had seen. Those eyes knew things.

As for the rest of the body? Well, so much for the “power and majesty”!

Well, my friends, it’s been a very long journey from that tortured teenager to SHIVA.

Life got in the way of a lot of things. I put aside my writing, my art, music, spiritual healing and most of the non-physical, non-practical pursuits to have a career, to be married, and to raise children.

Life’s like that. It takes you on a journey even though you’re not aware you’re going anywhere at all.

So now that the children are all grown up and have lives of their own, I’ve had the time to rediscover things I didn’t even realise I’d missed. Things such as my writing, my art and music, my love of dance, light, crystals, movement and, most of all, my love of life.

Many of us are getting our paints, our drums, our flutes, out of the closets and dusting them off. Many of us are trying new things and discovering depths to ourselves we never had time to explore.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard: “I used to do that…” “I used to dance too…” “I used to play music…” “I used to paint…” “I wish I’d tried this sooner…”

Come on, admit it. There are things you used to enjoy that you’ve been thinking about taking up again. Or, there are things you’ve just discovered an interest in and you want to learn more.

That’s why Kaye and I started SHIVA.

We wanted to get together with other people like us. People who enjoy the company of other like-minded souls. People who’d like to “come out of the closet” with their art, writing, music, dancing, spirituality… People who’ve already lived more than half their lives and now want to stand up and say: “Hey! I don’t care if you think I’m weird. I’m LIVING and I’m loving every minute of it!”

Why Shiva?

The Indian God, Shiva, is the embodiment of all things artistic, musical, spiritual, energetic and beautiful.

Like me, you’ve probably heard of Shiva – isn’t she that Indian Goddess with all the arms? – I hear you ask. Yes, that’s what I thought too.  Well, you have to admit, he is rather pretty.

To find out more about Shiva himself, look him up on the internet. There’s more information on there than you’ll ever want or need to know about him.

Our more personal connection to the God Shiva was a rather odd spiritual experience.

He just kept popping up everywhere!

Once Kaye and I began to talk about getting a group together, Shiva started to appear to us literally everywhere we went. There suddenly seemed to be Shiva statues in every shop, Shiva posters on walls, his image on incense, in books, in the clouds, everywhere!

When we were searching for a name – some kind of label our small group could be identified by – Shiva appeared, and appeared, and appeared, and… well, I didn’t say we were all that bright. We didn’t get it the first hundred times.

We did get it eventually, though, and Shiva has kindly offered his guidance and inspiration to us, for which we will forever be grateful.

So… if you think you’d like to join us for a casual get-together and afternoon tea at Kaye’s, please come along.

There will be loads of talking, fun, laughter and sharing as we all get to know each other and learn a little about inspiring each other in our artistic pursuits – no matter what they may be.