CONTEMPLATIVE
ARCHETYPES \ from the book Contemplative Gardens by July Moir Messervy
" I believe
that the contemplative place is born with the conception of the child who, for
a period of time, experiences the warmth, comfort and
protection of the womb. With birth an infant, and later as a child, develops new
physical experiences of place, whether it be the security of a
parent's arms or the discovery of a cozy corner behind the living room easy chair.
These developmental stages can be likened to landscape images:
the sea, the cave, the harbour, the promontory, the island, the mountain and the
sky. Their archetypal themes express the form and characteristics
of our elemental feelings towards place, which are embedded in our storehouse
of memories. I conjecture that when adults experience a place that
reminds them of their early contemplative memories, they see it as an image of
paradise."