“For ourselves, who are ordinary men and women, let us return thanks to Nature for her bounty by using every one of the senses she has given us; vary our state as much as possible; turn now this side, now that, to the warmth, and relish to the full before the sun goes down the kisses of youth and the echoes of a beautiful voice singing Catullus. Every season is likeable, and wet days and fine, red wine and white, company and solitude. Even sleep, that deplorable curtailment of the joy of life, can be full of dreams; and the most common actions—a walk, a talk, solitude in one’s own orchard—can be enhanced and lit up by the association of the mind. Beauty is everywhere, and beauty is only two finger’s-breadth from goodness.”

From Montaigne by Virginia Woolf (1882 – 1941), writer, born on this day

Image: Orchard in Winter by Valerius de Saedaleer, 1907

“It was part of her discernment to be aware that life is the only real counselor, that wisdom unfiltered through personal experience does not become a part of the moral tissues.”

From Sanctuary by Edith Wharton (1862 – 1937), novelist, born on this day

“A true artist is not one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.”

Django Reinhardt (1910 – 1953), Jazz guitarist, born on this day

“Alchemy may be compared to the man who told his sons that he had left them gold, buried somewhere in his vineyard; while they by digging found no gold, but by turning up the mould about the roots of the vines procured a plentiful vintage. So the search and endeavours to make gold have brought many useful inventions to light.”

De Augmentis Scientiarum by Francis Bacon (1561 – 1626), philosopher, born on this day

“Ask yourself the following first thing in the morning:
What am I lacking in attaining freedom from passion?
What for tranquility?
What am I? A mere body, estate-holder, or reputation? None of these things.
What then? A rational being.
What then is demanded of me? Meditate on your actions.
How did I steer away from serenity?
What did I do that was unfriendly, unsocial, or uncaring?
How did I fail to do in all these things?”

Discourses, 4.6.34 – 35 by Epictetus (c.50 – 135), Greek Stoic philosopher

“Only one thing is certain. People get out of life exactly what they put into it.”

From The Searching Spirit by Joy Adamson (1910 – 1980), naturalist, born on this day

“Perhaps the biggest obstacle to loving yourself and living your Spirit is the belief that you can only do so when all your problems are solved, all your worries are alleviated, and all your concerns and fears have disappeared. The truth is, this will never happen. We’re not here to get over our humanness, but rather to accept and make peace with it… and remember our Divine nature.”

Sonia Choquette

“By the time it came to the edge of the Forest the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and, being grown-up, it did not run and jump and sparkle along as it used to do when it was younger, but moved more slowly. For it knew now where it was going, and it said to itself, “There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.”

From The House at Pooh Corner by A. A. Milne (1882 – 1956), born on this day

“My heart,
sing the song of longing like a nightingale.
The sound of your voice casts a spell
on every stone, on every thorn.
First,
lay down your head,
then one by one let go
of all distractions.
Embrace the Light and let it guide you,
beyond the winds of desire.
There,
you will find a spring
and nourished by its sweet waters
like a tree
you will bear fruit forever.”

From The Hidden Music by Rumi, translated by Dina Al – Mahdy

“Old and new are the perennial poles of all feeling and sense of orientation in the world. We cannot do without the old, because in what is old is invested all our past, our wisdom, our memories, our sadness, our sense of realism. We cannot do without faith in the new, because in what is new is invested all our energy, our capacity for optimism, our blind biological yearning, our ability to forget — the healing ability that makes reconciliation possible.

We are told we must choose — the old or the new. In fact, we must choose both. What is a life if not a series of negotiations between the old and the new? It seems to me that one should always be seeking to talk oneself out of these stark oppositions.”

Susan Sontag (1933 – 2004), writer, born on this day