Lately, as an almost psychologist, I’ve been interested in beauty and how it can help us access “anima mundi” (the soul of the world) or help us find a sense of nonordinary transcendence and connection. What’s something (eg song, place, piece of art, type of plant etc) that particularly does this for you?

Question

Emilie Bienvenew · Answer

Mono no Aware : Finding Beauty in Life’s Fleeting Moments: I've learned this japanese philosophy which is so lovely :

To feel mono no aware is to reclaim to pause — 
to stand still, even briefly, and allow the beauty of passing moments to move you.

It teaches us: Because it ends, it matters. Because it fades, it’s precious.

One way this concept is applied yearly in Japan is the cherry blossom season - it's not just pretty, it's special because it's ephemeral. Apply it to all aspects of your life, game changer.

Jess · Answer

Spem in Alium (Thomas Tallis): The most beautiful piece of music I know. Hearing the Tallis Scholars perform this live was transcendent. If you have the chance to visit Janet Cardiff’s audio installation, it’s also a life-changing experience.

Joy Fowlkes · Answer

Samsara: Just a ton of beauty packed into 90 minutes!

Eric F · Answer

A New View of the Moon 🌝: “Do you want to take a look at the moon?”

JV · Answer

Stick Around For The Gloaming: "The soft, lingering glow in the sky after the sun goes down." Unless you're a vampire you should really stick around after sunset to enjoy 'the calm summer gloaming.'

Anna Songsong · Answer

Trees: Trees are a big one for me.

I’m also very interested in this topic as a creative. Books that have made a big influence on me are The Nature Fix (nature is our natural habitat and essential to our health and happiness), and one I’m working through right now, Matter and Desire, an Erotic Ecology (connection to nature and humans is necessary for life).

Catherine Davis · Answer

Wabi-Sabi: When I started looking for it, I found opportunities to embrace the concept of Wabi-Sabi everywhere (my driveway under my pink flowering trees) The acceptance of transience, imperfection, the beauty found in natural, weathered, or flawed objects… I like to think of these petals in the cracks as nature’s Kitsugi…