The Uffizi, Florence. Home of the Reformation. 

It’s a deep journey. I am absorbed as I step into the galleries. I feel grounded in care. I am held, cradled by the inquiries of so many people who’ve been of and from this place. 

These are people who’ve been compelled to help us all grow. They’ve done it in art. Done it in enduring collective structures. And I feel deeply connected to the inner shifts that are developed and illustrated in these Florence galleries. 

They speak to our individual and collective thinking-pattern shifts. Changes that have happened across the centuries and these lift me to what is possible today. These past supports for our flourishing are vividly felt in my body, all the efforts of these people carry me. The presence of them is here and now with, for example, the aliveness of what’s created here stark from the reformation times. Vibrant in our present day.

Deep connections to meta-crisis soft landings

Strange fascination, fascinating me
Ah, changes are taking the pace I’m going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes (turn and face the strange)
Changes, David Bowie

What do I mean? A few highlights. 

We, humans, have successfully done this before. We have successfully changed our thinking patterns, socialising power, enhancing collective intelligence, catalyzing nonlinear flourishing. 

The reformation. People and society went from the times when God was bigger than everything and everyone to a broader perspective. You see this walking the decades of the Uffizi as the art progresses—the galleries are arranged in chronological order across centuries. The art distinctly shifts. After a hundred years or so we grow in proportion to God, we hold ourselves and the world in equitable and more inclusive terms.

I love it, in part, as we’re doing this now, we are in an analogous thinking pattern shift to that of the reformation. We are going from our modern day story of individual success, regardless of the costs, as the measure of a valued life, to seeing that we are far more than this and weaving together new sets of collective values.

Uffizi up-level

If you’re lost and you look, you will find me
Time after time
If you fall, I will catch you, I’ll be waiting
Time after time
Time after time, Everything but the Girl

Step forward in time. A few galleries into the Uffizi I turn a corner and I’m filled by the Primavera (Spring). It is the Botticelli, this substack’s illustration above.

The painting is, in part, a long story of love (and, ok Stockholm syndrome and remorse too). It is a serious celebration past piety—we are more than just our devoutness and devotion to god. It’s made for long winter evenings, a picture to gather around, tell stories and explore together the complexity of meanings illustrated in it.

In its history too it marks independence, honouring a diversity of thought.  As does the da Vinci, below. 

 

In Leonardo’s painting the sarcophagus always looks straight at you. A promise of eternity? Yet…

 

This is far from a one sided illustration. In the picture Mary is reluctantly accepting the angel’s gift. There are many other paintings in the Uffizi where her reaction to the Angel is shock. She rejects becoming a mother in this way. And who can blame her. Jesus’s whole life, including his tortured easter, is written in the book beneath her right hand

Yet, she says yes. The Angel is relieved. Conflicted in its task. Caring and compassionate. Humanity and divinity present. Far from an ‘I know what’s best for you’ dogmatic representation of God who’s happy to impose this child on Mary regardless of what she feels. 

Mary’s also been given liberty by Leonardo in this depiction. She is saying yes in this world. She is not cloistered away as she would traditionally have been. The door is open to her room where she would have been confined, in earlier paintings a few decades ago. 

Catalysts

They figured it out
That we’re gonna do it anyway
Even if it doesn’t pay
Everything is free now, Gillian Welch

That’s just a couple of highlights of our compassionate heritage from the Uffizi.

These are only a few parts of what emerges here in Florence. Pieces from centuries past that we are all breathing in the now.

Catalytic attractors assisting emergence. Assisting us all to meet today’s meta-crisis.

Assisting today’s world’s rebirthing even?

 asked me about this as we talked on the Uffizi:

what’s resurrecting for you this easter?

In part, I said:

I really appreciated the depth, care and connections that are so apparent in Florence.

And, having my biases busted.

I have no Christian upbringing. In earlier times I held a pretty one sided view focused on the problems and undoubted abuses of institutional religion.

Integrations

So what is being restored for me?

As societies, we are in a fast process of integrating the beauty of our humanity. More specifically recognising, validating and being supported by our forebears insight and energy.

For myself I’m fully reconciled with my old dogmas about this time of year.

This is our work of today, our work for now. Integrating. Holding, re-engaging and owning, weaving together all that is good from the millennia of human existence.

What do you think? Feel free to comment! What resurrected for you this easter?

 Wishing everyone a happy and deeply connecting post Easter.