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Silvan's GladeA quiet place to reflect on the mysteries of life, universe and spirit |
Silvan's Glade explores spiritual themes in classic and contemporary nature writing. Spirituality here isn't defined as any particular set of beliefs or values. In fact Silvan's Glade is guided by naturalistic philosophy, which interprets the universe based on natural rather than supernatural forces. But our purpose is to explore how people from all belief systems have expressed themselves in nature essays, poetry and even fiction.
This site supports religious tolerance. It is friendly to all age groups, cultures, races and sexual orientations. The webmaster identifies with the gay and lesbian community. Some writings on this site relate to his experiences and perspective as a gay father.
From the dawn of history, humans have felt a need to transcend the painful and the mundane. This is common to those who pray, meditate, write a poem, or go walking in the forest. Religion has often intersected with nature in this pursuit.
It is perhaps mystics who have pursued transcendence to its deepest and most intimate level. Their practices and teachings have emerged within all major world religions, and often bring a thread of commonality to disparate belief systems. The writers encompass many traditions from the ancient visionary poet Jelaluddin Rumi to contemporary theologian and essayist Annie Dillard.
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts." ~Ecologist Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring
You can explore these ideas on the following pages:
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Silvan's Glade was first published on the Web on July 23, 1997. This Version 3 was published on Nov. 7, 2000.
All written material and images except rainbow flag and awards are ©1997-2002 Van Waffle. This page updated Jan. 13, 2004.
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