SPELL THE AURA

When I was in England studying, I had a friend called Laura. We used to meet often and spend hours writing poetry using a particular method we had devised. This method allowed us to be very prolific in our writing. Poem after poem was written - each in five minutes or less. Then we would read them over and find all kinds of deeper meanings, wonderful coincidences, beautiful images, interesting new phrases and juxtapositions of words, etc.

In looking for a name for our method, I suggested we put our two names (ELSPETH, LAURA)together, mix up the letters and see what we came up with.

The result was SPELL THE AURA

Interesting how this name fits well with the resulting poems derived from the method. Think of the aura, which is that energy field around the body. Now think of the words of the poem as the "body" and the deeper meaning of the poem/body as the aura.

In other words, the body of work has an aura ... something about it that is intangible, yet is of great significance. It is that which cannot be explained about the piece, yet it has great meaning.

This is the essence of the AURA when we Spell The Aura.

In this method, to spell = to write ... and aura = what is written.

We had great fun with it and in fact it was instrumental in inspiring the way I write now. It's a very "subconscious" method of writing - quite like stream of consciousness, only with a little guidance. Very simple. Even people who think they can't write or who say things like "Oh, I'm not creative, I can't do anything like that ..." When I've shown them how to Spell the Aura they are amazed at what they come up with ... and so quickly and easily too.

Tomorrow: Spell the Aura (the method) explained.

- Happy Hippy -