A Meditation on Intimacy and
EcstasyA Meditation on Intimacy and
EcstasyBoth words "intimacy" and "ecstasy" invoke magic in a profound and wonderful way.
For ecstasy I like this definition
--
The state of
being beside one's self or rapt out of one's self; a state in
which the mind is
elevated above the reach of ordinary impressions, as
when under the
influence of overpowering emotion; an extraordinary
elevation of the
spirit, as when the soul, unconscious of sensible objects,
is supposed to
contemplate heavenly mysteries.
Ecstasy is that rare moment when you really "get" the world.
I once wrote about "dancing with sheep" on a drizzly day
on the top of a hill in the
Shetland Islands, dancing
and singing to Bach's Goldberg Variations, under a brooding
but
gorgeous gray sky, and a light wind, the smell of
wet grass and the nearby salty waters
sharpening the
senses, all alone but in the presence of the life force --
and the sheep,
the shy, curious bashful onlookers
peeping out from behind far away hillocks and horizons
wondering who the heck this crazy Canuck was? I am
certain the look on my face was a
smile profound, a
state of gladness reflected. And a peace in my soul; I was
home.
Intimacy is the state of being intimate as in
--
The state relating to one's deepest, essential,
innermost nature; very
personal and private;
risking vulnerability when shared and knowing
the sharing is
safe.
Intimacy is that closeness, being in that space
between our hearts and something beyond
us. Between two
people, intimacy is often better invoked when physical
contact is direct.
Talking in low tones about weighty
matters while sitting hand-in-hand. Or explaining a
point with a hand lingering on my partner's shoulder --
not holding him in order to control,
to assure his
attention, but to share the same space; it is an invitation,
not a directive.
Intimacy is
invited;
ecstasy is invoked.
Ecstasy is
experienced as one-ness;
intimacy requires
two-ness.
Intimacy is
exclusionary: us vs. them;
ecstasy is all encompassing: I
experience the all.
Ecstasy banishes
alone-ness;
intimacy vanquishes loneliness.
Intimacy
requires time to create and build;
ecstasy occurs in a
moment, as a flash.
In nature, ecstasy is
mirrored in visions of galaxies;
intimacy is
revealed in the morning dew on a petal.
Earth and water remind us of
intimacy;
ecstasy is charged with
fire and air.
Ecstasy is felt when
God touches a man's soul;
intimacy is known when
another man touches my soul.
Poetry and painting can be
intimate;
music and dance conjures
ecstasy.
Ecstasy craves
movement, radiates vibration;
intimacy commands
stillness, creates peace.
Intimacy
speaks softly in hummingbird whispers;
ecstasy sings as a
night-filling chorus of angels.
Ecstasy colours the
sky in rainbows;
intimacy reveals itself in subtle
shades of gray.
Intimacy is
a secret uncovered with another in dim light;
ecstasy is
mystical knowingness acquired in a supernova.
Ecstasy is infinity
squared;
intimacy is finity shared.
Intimacy
craves touch;
ecstasy transcends it.
When I look into your eyes and see timeless
visions:
this is
ecstasy;
when I look into your eyes and see my soul
reflected:
this is
intimacy.
When I hold you,
taste your soul,
know that I am safe and not alone,
feel your breath on my heart from the inside-out:
this is intimacy and ecstasy merged.