Midnight musing – or Skyclad in Scotland

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Sue Vincent

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I’m having a coffee, then I’m going to bed. Honest.

I have been either sewing, on the phone or writing all day, apart from a quick visit to the supermarket for my son and yes, I still forgot to get dinner for me. Luckily, Nick had smoked salmon for lunch, which was delicious and rather neatly saved me from expiring.

So the sewing machine and piles of fabric still taunt me from the dining table. I was quite enjoying the productivity this evening, but if the phone rings, I answer. It is either a friend or a son, as a rule, and therefore always a call I want to take. Two hours disappeared in no time.

While the machine was whirring away I was thinking about a conversation I’d had with a friend the other evening. He laughingly suggested sky-clad was a better way of working than having to sew robes.

Now, I am only human. I have a vivid pictorial imagination, and the gentleman in question is a Scot. The prospect of working sky-clad in a Scottish winter made me chuckle. It is cold up there in winter….

I have nothing at all against anyone who chooses practicing their faith sky-clad. The term itself is a beautiful one. But there have to be better places than the Highlands to do so. Quite apart from the chill factor, the aesthetics must take a hit.

I deeply appreciate the beauty of the human form. It is a magnificent piece of engineering, capable of great beauty, male and female. As a nominally Christian country we are taught that we are created in the image of God, therefore I see no shame at all in the naked human form of itself, even though I don’t take that teaching literally in the purely physical sense. To feel shame in one’s own skin somehow smacks of disrespect to the Creator if we accept that teaching in any way.

But somehow I don’t think even He would fail to chuckle either at a combination of sky-clad, blue extremities and goose bumps from the frozen north. Especially not the particular images flitting through my odd mind as I worked. Still, they are a hardy lot up there.

Thankfully, of course, both for my own comfort and the aesthetic sensibilities of others, my particular path does not require me to work sky-clad. Indeed, unless the weather decides to become a little more spring-like, the ritual thermal underwear might have to make an appearance… decently veiled, I hasten to add, beneath something more dignified.

But it seems as if the weather may have turned. It is somewhat milder tonight, even though the rain is falling heavily. It seems an age since we last had decent rain…the garden will be glad of it and it might just hasten our belated springtime.

And that would be nice… for in a very few days’ time I will be welcoming my friend at Heathrow and I would like the skies of England clad in blue and the land in green and gold for his arrival.

Now, as the rain beats against the window, a sound I adore, I shall finally bid you goodnight and go to bed.

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About Sue Vincent

Sue Vincent was a Yorkshire born writer, esoteric teacher and a Director of The Silent Eye. She was immersed in the Mysteries all her life. Sue maintained a popular blog and is co-author of The Mystical Hexagram with Dr G.M.Vasey. Sue lived in Buckinghamshire, having been stranded there due to an accident with a blindfold, a pin and a map. She had a lasting love-affair with the landscape of Albion, the hidden country of the heart. Sue  passed into spirit at the end of March 2021.
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18 Responses to Midnight musing – or Skyclad in Scotland

  2. Ionia Froment's avatar ioniamartin says:
    April 12, 2013 at 01:13

    I bet she’s still up 🙂

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  3. Darcy Scholts's avatar Darcy Scholts says:
    April 12, 2013 at 02:38

    Brr.
    Long ago, a creative and delightful artist friend was asked to do part of a ritual drama skyclad. Problem was the person who asked was kind of a male chauvinist type and she didn’t feel like playing along, so she got a black leotard and tights, glitter and fabric paint, added stars and shiny stuff to the clothing and voila! “Night-sky-clad”! 🙂

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  4. WyndyDee's avatar WyndyDee says:
    April 12, 2013 at 03:50

    Reblogged this on Wyndy Dee.

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  5. gmvasey's avatar gmvasey says:
    April 12, 2013 at 08:09

    I used to live in Glasgow – college days – even in mid winter they guys were walking around in cap sleeve T-shirts…. they are a tough lot and doubt the cold would worry them much…..

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  6. JK Bevill - Lost Creek Publishing's avatar JK Bevill - Lost Creek Publishing says:
    April 12, 2013 at 08:40

    Reblogged this on lost creek publishing.

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  7. A Misanthropic Bear's avatar Running Elk says:
    April 12, 2013 at 20:33

    Yes… the aesthetics tend to look much like your little duck there… only smaller… (apparently…) 😉

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