Notes on the Philosophy
of Beltane.
It has always been
a prime objective in Beltane to express themes fundamental to personal
existence and in doing so, clarify and extend them through art. From
the atheist or existentialist standpoint, it is the responsibility of
the individual to find one's own truths and reasons for living. The
notion of achieving something greater and beyond the current point of
existence seems to be an inherent factor in providing the human will
to live. Likewise Beltane is motivated by a will to create and express
a personal perspective of aspirations and values which are represented
by the word beauty. It is an inward journey, discarding the superfluous,
in order to increasingly develop a view towards essential worth and
meaning. It is an inward focus because Beltane is concerned with the
motivating forces behind action and expression. The aim is to reach
as close to the source or core as possible, thus increasing the awareness
of fundamental and primal drives within human nature. The songs of Beltane
are related to the internal sphere of human endeavour.
It has been Beltane's
objective to communicate its ideals towards the concept of beauty as
clearly and precisely as possible. The artistic expression within Beltane
is driven from a poetic basis. The lyrics viewed on paper may well be
referred to as poems, the fact that they are inter-woven within music,
merely allows a more vivid and descriptive medium to aid expression
and communication of inherent themes. Only by using lyrics as an axis
point, can the songs retain their coherent nature and avoid becoming
abstract. Whilst aiming to communicate definite concepts and themes,
they themselves (the concepts and themes) are primary of nature and
can be related to infinitely. Claiming to be specific about concepts
so vast may appear illogical, but in this relation the intention is
to outline key elemental aspects of the subject matter, and I consider
it possible to portray this with precision. Like any artform, one must
first become fluent with the particular language before understanding
the creator's intention. In Beltane's circumstance, the thread retaining
the meaning is within the lyrics. This brings us back to the poetic
nature of which the songs originate. Poets speak in metaphors, so in
order to understand a poem one will first have to align themself with
the style of which the writer has employed the use of not literal analogies.
In Beltane the word
beauty represents an ideal of perfection and wealth of life. When seen
and appreciated within an artform, the focus is expression and symbolism
of this ideal. The central goal is to manifest and evolve towards this
concept, inevitably perceived and expanded on from a personal perspective.
The contrasts and comparisons of material and non-material relationships
between life and death provide a base starting point for evaluation
of ideals. It is an attempt to arrive as close to the source as possible.
Essentially in this context I see life and existence purely in terms
of the emotional experience within the individual. With a realistic
awareness of our own mortality and vulnerability physically and emotionally,
one can begin to appreciate the true value of life. The bipolar characteristic
between life and death is a key factor in the evaluation of ideals.
Beltane likes to break down inherent ego securities, which filter the
conscious mind from the vicious aspect of nature; this is done (the
breakdown) to increase sensitivity and awareness, and to experience
greater dynamics of existence. Pain, suffering and struggle, are integral
elements of greatness. The prospect of extraordinary strength allows
for something to be rare and exceptional enough to be considered beautiful.
Despite such strength, achieving extremes beyond usual limits may self
induce risk and vulnerability. In my view, even the strongest image
of beauty can only exist when it radiates in direct opposition of its
counterpart.
Paul Handley (1998)
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