Balconies of the soul

The indispensable mediating space between realms.

By Orna Ben-Shoshan

Delving into the essence of an architectural structure like a balcony, can be a reassuring experience: Balconies offer a midpoint between your internal secure world and the large ominous space of the unknown, an in-between landing area between phases of life, and between eras.

This useful approach is targeted to the incurable cowards.

Walking in the streets of the old city of Sevillia, I frequently lift my eyes to the higher floors of the renaissance style buildings in search of the decorative balconies.

Balconies have always enchanted me. I truly believe that every apartment must have a terrace, because without it, its inhabitant can never be fully satisfied.

But the topic of this discussion is not merely architectural.

 

The concrete terrace of your apartment is a place where you have a straight access to the interior of your living room (or bedroom), and at the same time look outside to the street and connect with what’s going on out there. 

On the metaphysical level, the terrace may symbolize a middle station between two realms: A space where you can stay for a while, after you leave one dimension and before entering the next one.

A balcony is like a temporary stage where you still hold a clear recollection of the place you have just left.

 

Inner Space:

Most people visualize themselves as an entity wrapped around an internal core – the personal internal nucleus. This encapsulated internal realm is familiar and shielded. They have already put a life-long effort in constructing their inner space that is so homely, packed with behavioral patterns, defense mechanisms, rituals and habits that served them quite well in times of happiness and distress.  People often identify themselves with the world they have built inside themselves and guard it fanatically.

 

New Circumstances:

In this phase of universal subsistence the only solid factor is constant movement and change.  

We are forced to change as humans, because everything around us goes through accelerated alteration.

The next phase of existence we are moving into as humanity may looks so vague, so different and full of unexpected occurrences, that sometimes is conceived as quite intimidating.

We anticipate that something inside us will have to change in order to adapt to new circumstance, and we panic. External universal transitions reflect upon the narrow personal levels: Everything concerning our comfortable routine is being challenged.

 

Here is the time when a balcony comes handy…

The safest place to be right now, is that midpoint between what has been up until now, and the forthcoming unknown.

Do you trust the steadfastness of your apartment’s balcony to carry your weight while you immerse yourself in the outside ambiance? The architect who built the house was a skilled professional who took into consideration the entire load it has to support.

Your virtual “Spiritual Balcony” will hold your weight the moment you leave the safe and familiar past.

 

How do you know that you are standing on a balcony?

When the room you just exited suddenly looks a bit crammed, and you just have to get a breath of fresh air.

When the walls of your room are closing on you and blocking your vision and you feel an urge to see larger scenery.

When you feel that you have stagnated in your familiar room long enough, looking at the same stuff over and over again, and everything suddenly looks dull and boring …

When you feel that you just have to move into a larger space.

But you are scared…

So for now, it’s OK to stand on your balcony and look into the street from above… just before you collect your energies and go out to the jungle out there.

 

Your balcony – your gateway area, is a comfortable place to relax and rejuvenate your energies before you embark on your future adventure.  It will comfort you and take care of the legitimate fear of change: You already realized that you cannot go back into your crowded room, and had an opportunity to peek at the outside wildness.

 

Therefore, feel at home in the transition phase.

Trust the process of change, because this is how life had progressed up until now, and brought you to your present state. 

Trust your spiritual “balcony” - it is your “rest area” before moving into the next chapter of your life.

 

Stand on your balcony calm and secure:  your consistency, experience and resourcefulness will be the only concrete assets that you’ll ever need.

Artist Orna Ben-Shoshan conceives the images she paints through channeling. All of her paintings are completed in her mind before she transfers them onto the canvas.

Her metaphysical work infuses deep spiritual experience with subtle humor.

Orna Ben-Shoshan has been an auto dedact artist for the past 30 years. Her artwork was exhibited in numerous locations in the USA, Europe and Israel. Her Major motivation as a visual artist is to share her visions with others to expand their consciousness and inspire new ways of thinking.

To see more of her artwork, please visit: http://www.ben-shoshan.com

Orna’s life-long interest in metaphysics and mysticism has led her to study the Kabalah and alternative philosophies. She shares her wide and diverse knowledge in articles and short essays that were published in magazines worldwide alongside her paintings.

Orna is the co-creator of the new and innovative "King Solomon Cards", which are based on her artwork and combine her metaphysical images with ancient Kabalistic symbols. To see more, please visit: http://www.k-s-cards.com