Matters of the Heart

By Jenny Ruby

My wonderful father passed away in August 2017. The last words he communicated to me, whilst he was still able to whisper from behind his oxygen mask, were, "Do you know what, Jenny? Love is the only reality." This is, of course, a profound Truth and made me feel immensely proud and privileged to have had him as my father.

Dad came from a very impoverished and poverty-stricken area in the North East of the UK. He taught himself to read and paid for his own further education. What he was not taught, but inherently knew, was that Love is who we are, not what we do. The spark of the Divine is in all of us and in all living things, and we would do well to remember this in these dramatically turbulent times. The importance of impeccable integrity and living life from the heart center is vital to all our futures.

This is not always easy to achieve. In our culture we worship intellect and reasoning, and value them over feeling and intuition, thus giving preference to the mind and allowing it to rule and overrule the heart.

It takes huge courage to remain open-hearted and loving when logic suggests we close down and become defensive and aggressive, perceiving the world around us to be in chaos and seeing the apparent disintegration of the structures we know and have been operating within for centuries.

	Indian Sculpture — wrought iron, by Joe Roberts

Aggressive defense is not the way forward, however. Surely, it is better to have an open heart and free-flowing energy than a heart with closed doors and a triple bypass? Love will always triumph over negativity and hatred no matter what our minds might tell us.

Rather than write many words on this topic, (which would be easy for me!), I would like to try a different approach through images and poetry which I hope you will enjoy.

The Indian sculpture says much. It was created by my father in 2000. He handcrafted it in wrought iron and it is 10 feet high. In his notes for the project, Dad says the Indian represents an open heart and a pure spirit that is in direct communication with the Divine and Nature without the interference of religion or any third party. The posture is open and vulnerable, yet strong because the heart center is pure.
 

 
 

The other images and poems I trust will speak for themselves.

 

A Matter for the Heart

So what did you think, heart?
What did you expect?
That you would remain untroubled
During these turbulent, tragic times?
Stay open. Stay vulnerable and therefore strong.
The pouring out of love is the only protection
Against the dark forces without.
The future is bright if we believe it,
Feel it and move towards the Light.

Ineluctable Love

Give yourself up now, heart.
No use pretending or defending.
No more struggling against the inescapable
Power of Love.
Nothing to do but surrender.
But ~
Be prepared to bleed,
It is the pearl of great price.

“Gold” — watercolor, by Jenny Ruby

"For He knows the way that I take. When he has tried me I shall come forth as gold." — Job 23.10

The way is never going to be easy ~ pain is part of the deal. To be true to yourself takes huge inner courage but the reward is Truth, Peace and Love.

“The Unfettered Soul” — watercolor, by Jenny Ruby

Fabric painting on silk, by Jenny Ruby

The Pearl of Great Price Everything you are searching for is within you.

“The Way” — acrylic on wood, by Jenny Ruby

Jenny Ruby has researched, written, and illustrated 22 books on the history of costume. She is also the author and illustrator of two museum guides and several books of essays. She has demonstrated art materials nationwide for major art companies; given talks and conducted workshops in schools and colleges throughout the UK; and has had numerous solo exhibitions of her watercolours, pastels, and textiles.

Since 1979 she has worked as a healer in the field of energy medicine, and sees individual creativity as an important aspect of health and wellbeing. Jenny trained with the National Federation of Spiritual Healers, and is a Reiki Master and scholar of Essene philosophy and practice.

Jenny draws her inspiration from nature, poetry, music, and the landscape of the mind. Through her work, she encourages people to return to the light of their inner spirit and personal creativity.

“I Feel the Pain of Falling Leaves” — mixed media, by Jenny Ruby