day nine
“O Divine Providence! All existence is begotten by Thy bounty; deprive it not of the waters of Thy generosity, neither do Thou withhold it from the ocean of Thy mercy. I beseech Thee to aid and assist me at all times and under all conditions, and seek from the heaven of Thy grace Thine ancient favor.”
“I want you to be happy … to laugh, smile and rejoice in order that others may be made happy by you.”
philip blyth/left (queens, ny, usa): I am having a hard time focusing my Fast this year. Medically not being allowed to fast feels like a punishment, and I need to try that much harder to get into the spirit… Since I will most likely never fast again, what are some ways I could start to personalize my experience?
bobby aazami/right (sydney, nsw, australia): When I first started fasting, I found the whole thing really difficult. Usually, by 1 or 2 in the afternoon, my energy level would drop and I found it incredibly hard to concentrate on my work. But now in the afternoons, I find that if I have just one cookie with a cup of tea … that usually keeps me going until sunset.
nineteen days 
Thank you Bobby for the best laugh! Dear Philip, my husband and I have picked a book and read a bit of it every morning with our prayers. This year we are reading “Memorials of the Faithful.” I love reading these stories of the most sacrificial souls that surrounded Bahá’u’lláh. Or another idea that a friend is doing…take one paragraph from that long Fast prayer that is so rhythmic and powerful and focus on it all day.
Thank you, Karina! I also love the idea of one paragraph a day. Maybe I’ll finally memorize it this way 😉 We all “kind of know it by heart”, so why not?
Bobby Hilarity Aazami!!! You crack me up
Love the shots x
xoxo to you, Kalinz. xoxo to you.
Bobby! Hilarious! 🙂
I cherish that taking part in this project led me to an individual so unique in his creativity as Bobby. Not only is your work always refreshing and in this instance incredibly symbolic, but I value that you see the importance of laughter – especially during the days leading up to the moment of all new beginnings.
Philip, I don’t fast because of health reasons either, but I value that these 19days give me a chance to detox my spirit by reading the writings on a daily basis and spending more time to meditate on what has gone, what is to come, what I’m grateful for and what I value most in my life.
Thank you, Fiona. Reading more of the writings is definitely the answer, always… I have to overcome this lack of initiative I’m feeling, and use the Fast to jump-start this a a stronger habit!
areh….
Dear Bobby,
I love the picture of you and Fiona holding the apples. A light hearted photo with undertones of ‘Garden of Eden’ and maybe a bit of Van Eyck. Love it. I would love to show this picture as part of an exhibition I’m curating at the end of the year. Will email you and Fiona about it soon. Have secured a gallery and am finalising which artists to involve now.
Shadi
Congrats on the upcoming exhibition, Shadi jon. I would be honored to contribute.
Hi Philip: I understand what you mean. I’ve been right where you are feeling. perhaps spend some time understanding the reason behind the exemption such that your free of this feeling of “punishment”. Because in the end the fast is voluntary – “binding” for those who can, but nonetheless voluntary. The month of Ala means Loftiness. Is there anything that you could focus on that would exalt or elevate your spirit during these 19 days, in a way that is fulfilling to you?
Thank you for the new perspective, storyroll…
Philip-Beautiful images: greys in tree branches and leaves and the healing blue silhouetting the 2 sleeping birds and again, wonderfully defined tree branches-a highlight of this time of year.
The pic’s speak to me of morning melancholy and divine beauty. Soon the buds will appear again on trees and all flowers, bees, fruits & fragrances will fill the air. This time right before the spring is quiet but also a stirring time; baby animals are born and flower shoots are pushing through the cold earth. It can be both a restless and peaceful time for us humans.
The arts help me tremendously during this time. Perhaps combining some Holy words with your images in a slide show or just producing your images with Baha’u’llah’s words to inspire you as a break from your art. I too struggle with the fast and try not to beat up on myself. Some days I can fast and others- not at all. The days I can it’s like floating in another world blessed and kind. The days I can’t become really important for me to have patience and call upon Divine spirit.
Rachelle-Beautiful comment!!!
I love your idea of taking a “break” from work – and even art – to “spiritualize” what we already have. As we fast, it does help us to focus on how lucky we actually are with the bounties provided.
Love it!!!!
Phillip, it has been a pleasure to share the day and take part on this project with you. Thank you everyone for all your reflections and compliments. Lastly, thank you to my partner, who undisputedly has been my muse.
Hey, Bobby, same here 🙂
I should have known you were going to do your signature daguerrotypes, then we could have gone all black-and-white (a first for this blog) 🙂
Is your “fin” a play on words on “faim”? Is that Original Sin or the Tree of Knowledge?
We really love you both very much and are so proud to call you family!
Xoxo