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issue 7// vol 47 life & style // no. 19
The
Universal
Spirit
>» Timeless serenity
in a small book
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
Cue creates aides for the spirit, but
too often those aids are contained
within the culture and only serve the
dominant group of the culture. Stories of
wisdom and guidance are often trapped
within the confines of religion and barred
from secular sharing. One book that
transcended the trap of secular animosity
to religious teachings is The Prophet
written by the late Lebanese poet, Khalil
Gibran. Published in 1923, The Prophet
garnered immediate acclaim and has never
since sunken from wider cultural esteem.
But in the early ’60s, new-age spiritualists
and gurus brought Gibran’s work to the
fore. The book begins with Al Mustafa
waiting for a ship to come and return him
to his people after 12 years on Orphalese.
Al Mustafa spies from a hill a familiar mast
on the horizon. From there, written with
poetic elegance, The Prophet tells of the
last hours that Al Mustafa spends with the
people of Orphalese.
The Prophet is a book for solitude
and uncertainty; in the strange and
disconnected world of a pandemic, it is
a soothing reassurance that transcends
Photo by Matthew Fraser
6¢
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
The Prophet is a book for solitude and uncertainty; in
the strange and disconnected world of a pandemic,
it is a soothing reassurance that transcends
the confines of a single culture or faith.
the confines of a single culture or faith.
Blending the esoteric mists of eastern
religion with the simplified air of a western
tale, The Prophet manages to convey both
quiet reassurance and the beauty of the
mystic’s inner world. The villagers of the
island gather around Al Mustafa to ask
for his final guidance and final teachings
before this journey home. This is a book
that bares its heart through phrases
both simple and enigmatic. When asked
about time, Al Mustafa replies: “Of time
you would make a stream upon whose
bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s
timelessness, and knows that yesterday
is but today’s memory and tomorrow is
today’s dream.”
While The Prophet never strays
from the spiritual airs of a religious text,
its novella format allows it to exist as an
otherworldly addition to any reader’s
catalogue; it is living as fiction that travels
with the reader through dreams and
heartache alike. I recommend The Prophet
so frequently that I have two copies, one
for myself, printed in 1963—smelling of old
age and long-forgotten book piles—and
another printed in 2001 to lend to curious
friends and as an aid in tumultuous times.
The Prophet outlives Gibran not just for its
simple elegance and timeless guidance but
also for its non-denominal take on faith.
Though the Bible may have Jesus and the
Quran has immortalized Muhammed, Al
Mustafa is unbound by land origins or a
belief system. Al Mustafa’s world is only
that of Orphalese and his words arebut
asupport for the individual as they traverse
the world around them. Hostile or docile,
painful or joyous, The Prophet takes the
reader in hand on a solitary walk through
the inner workings of a universal truth
that never juxtaposes against faith but
always reaffirms the eternal humanity
of spiritual guidance. Leading not with
the ironclad rule of organized religious
fervour but with an introspective calm
and clarity. The Prophet is best taken as an
inspired spiritual aid; everlasting, singular,
and without pretence, Gibran’s work is
both made for poetic enjoyment and
independent reflection. Its enigmatic guide
is faceless yet sure, the wisdom encased
between the books covers reinforces all
without care for creed or origin.
Available for free online via the
website of the same title, the simple,
poetic and cleansing tome is the perfect
salve for the dreary and unhappy days of
pandemic isolation.
The
Universal
Spirit
>» Timeless serenity
in a small book
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
Cue creates aides for the spirit, but
too often those aids are contained
within the culture and only serve the
dominant group of the culture. Stories of
wisdom and guidance are often trapped
within the confines of religion and barred
from secular sharing. One book that
transcended the trap of secular animosity
to religious teachings is The Prophet
written by the late Lebanese poet, Khalil
Gibran. Published in 1923, The Prophet
garnered immediate acclaim and has never
since sunken from wider cultural esteem.
But in the early ’60s, new-age spiritualists
and gurus brought Gibran’s work to the
fore. The book begins with Al Mustafa
waiting for a ship to come and return him
to his people after 12 years on Orphalese.
Al Mustafa spies from a hill a familiar mast
on the horizon. From there, written with
poetic elegance, The Prophet tells of the
last hours that Al Mustafa spends with the
people of Orphalese.
The Prophet is a book for solitude
and uncertainty; in the strange and
disconnected world of a pandemic, it is
a soothing reassurance that transcends
Photo by Matthew Fraser
6¢
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
The Prophet is a book for solitude and uncertainty; in
the strange and disconnected world of a pandemic,
it is a soothing reassurance that transcends
the confines of a single culture or faith.
the confines of a single culture or faith.
Blending the esoteric mists of eastern
religion with the simplified air of a western
tale, The Prophet manages to convey both
quiet reassurance and the beauty of the
mystic’s inner world. The villagers of the
island gather around Al Mustafa to ask
for his final guidance and final teachings
before this journey home. This is a book
that bares its heart through phrases
both simple and enigmatic. When asked
about time, Al Mustafa replies: “Of time
you would make a stream upon whose
bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s
timelessness, and knows that yesterday
is but today’s memory and tomorrow is
today’s dream.”
While The Prophet never strays
from the spiritual airs of a religious text,
its novella format allows it to exist as an
otherworldly addition to any reader’s
catalogue; it is living as fiction that travels
with the reader through dreams and
heartache alike. I recommend The Prophet
so frequently that I have two copies, one
for myself, printed in 1963—smelling of old
age and long-forgotten book piles—and
another printed in 2001 to lend to curious
friends and as an aid in tumultuous times.
The Prophet outlives Gibran not just for its
simple elegance and timeless guidance but
also for its non-denominal take on faith.
Though the Bible may have Jesus and the
Quran has immortalized Muhammed, Al
Mustafa is unbound by land origins or a
belief system. Al Mustafa’s world is only
that of Orphalese and his words arebut
asupport for the individual as they traverse
the world around them. Hostile or docile,
painful or joyous, The Prophet takes the
reader in hand on a solitary walk through
the inner workings of a universal truth
that never juxtaposes against faith but
always reaffirms the eternal humanity
of spiritual guidance. Leading not with
the ironclad rule of organized religious
fervour but with an introspective calm
and clarity. The Prophet is best taken as an
inspired spiritual aid; everlasting, singular,
and without pretence, Gibran’s work is
both made for poetic enjoyment and
independent reflection. Its enigmatic guide
is faceless yet sure, the wisdom encased
between the books covers reinforces all
without care for creed or origin.
Available for free online via the
website of the same title, the simple,
poetic and cleansing tome is the perfect
salve for the dreary and unhappy days of
pandemic isolation.
Edited Text
issue 7// vol 47 life & style // no. 19
The
Universal
Spirit
>» Timeless serenity
in a small book
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
Cue creates aides for the spirit, but
too often those aids are contained
within the culture and only serve the
dominant group of the culture. Stories of
wisdom and guidance are often trapped
within the confines of religion and barred
from secular sharing. One book that
transcended the trap of secular animosity
to religious teachings is The Prophet
written by the late Lebanese poet, Khalil
Gibran. Published in 1923, The Prophet
garnered immediate acclaim and has never
since sunken from wider cultural esteem.
But in the early ’60s, new-age spiritualists
and gurus brought Gibran’s work to the
fore. The book begins with Al Mustafa
waiting for a ship to come and return him
to his people after 12 years on Orphalese.
Al Mustafa spies from a hill a familiar mast
on the horizon. From there, written with
poetic elegance, The Prophet tells of the
last hours that Al Mustafa spends with the
people of Orphalese.
The Prophet is a book for solitude
and uncertainty; in the strange and
disconnected world of a pandemic, it is
a soothing reassurance that transcends
Photo by Matthew Fraser
6¢
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
The Prophet is a book for solitude and uncertainty; in
the strange and disconnected world of a pandemic,
it is a soothing reassurance that transcends
the confines of a single culture or faith.
the confines of a single culture or faith.
Blending the esoteric mists of eastern
religion with the simplified air of a western
tale, The Prophet manages to convey both
quiet reassurance and the beauty of the
mystic’s inner world. The villagers of the
island gather around Al Mustafa to ask
for his final guidance and final teachings
before this journey home. This is a book
that bares its heart through phrases
both simple and enigmatic. When asked
about time, Al Mustafa replies: “Of time
you would make a stream upon whose
bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s
timelessness, and knows that yesterday
is but today’s memory and tomorrow is
today’s dream.”
While The Prophet never strays
from the spiritual airs of a religious text,
its novella format allows it to exist as an
otherworldly addition to any reader’s
catalogue; it is living as fiction that travels
with the reader through dreams and
heartache alike. I recommend The Prophet
so frequently that I have two copies, one
for myself, printed in 1963—smelling of old
age and long-forgotten book piles—and
another printed in 2001 to lend to curious
friends and as an aid in tumultuous times.
The Prophet outlives Gibran not just for its
simple elegance and timeless guidance but
also for its non-denominal take on faith.
Though the Bible may have Jesus and the
Quran has immortalized Muhammed, Al
Mustafa is unbound by land origins or a
belief system. Al Mustafa’s world is only
that of Orphalese and his words arebut
asupport for the individual as they traverse
the world around them. Hostile or docile,
painful or joyous, The Prophet takes the
reader in hand on a solitary walk through
the inner workings of a universal truth
that never juxtaposes against faith but
always reaffirms the eternal humanity
of spiritual guidance. Leading not with
the ironclad rule of organized religious
fervour but with an introspective calm
and clarity. The Prophet is best taken as an
inspired spiritual aid; everlasting, singular,
and without pretence, Gibran’s work is
both made for poetic enjoyment and
independent reflection. Its enigmatic guide
is faceless yet sure, the wisdom encased
between the books covers reinforces all
without care for creed or origin.
Available for free online via the
website of the same title, the simple,
poetic and cleansing tome is the perfect
salve for the dreary and unhappy days of
pandemic isolation.
The
Universal
Spirit
>» Timeless serenity
in a small book
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
Cue creates aides for the spirit, but
too often those aids are contained
within the culture and only serve the
dominant group of the culture. Stories of
wisdom and guidance are often trapped
within the confines of religion and barred
from secular sharing. One book that
transcended the trap of secular animosity
to religious teachings is The Prophet
written by the late Lebanese poet, Khalil
Gibran. Published in 1923, The Prophet
garnered immediate acclaim and has never
since sunken from wider cultural esteem.
But in the early ’60s, new-age spiritualists
and gurus brought Gibran’s work to the
fore. The book begins with Al Mustafa
waiting for a ship to come and return him
to his people after 12 years on Orphalese.
Al Mustafa spies from a hill a familiar mast
on the horizon. From there, written with
poetic elegance, The Prophet tells of the
last hours that Al Mustafa spends with the
people of Orphalese.
The Prophet is a book for solitude
and uncertainty; in the strange and
disconnected world of a pandemic, it is
a soothing reassurance that transcends
Photo by Matthew Fraser
6¢
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
The Prophet is a book for solitude and uncertainty; in
the strange and disconnected world of a pandemic,
it is a soothing reassurance that transcends
the confines of a single culture or faith.
the confines of a single culture or faith.
Blending the esoteric mists of eastern
religion with the simplified air of a western
tale, The Prophet manages to convey both
quiet reassurance and the beauty of the
mystic’s inner world. The villagers of the
island gather around Al Mustafa to ask
for his final guidance and final teachings
before this journey home. This is a book
that bares its heart through phrases
both simple and enigmatic. When asked
about time, Al Mustafa replies: “Of time
you would make a stream upon whose
bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s
timelessness, and knows that yesterday
is but today’s memory and tomorrow is
today’s dream.”
While The Prophet never strays
from the spiritual airs of a religious text,
its novella format allows it to exist as an
otherworldly addition to any reader’s
catalogue; it is living as fiction that travels
with the reader through dreams and
heartache alike. I recommend The Prophet
so frequently that I have two copies, one
for myself, printed in 1963—smelling of old
age and long-forgotten book piles—and
another printed in 2001 to lend to curious
friends and as an aid in tumultuous times.
The Prophet outlives Gibran not just for its
simple elegance and timeless guidance but
also for its non-denominal take on faith.
Though the Bible may have Jesus and the
Quran has immortalized Muhammed, Al
Mustafa is unbound by land origins or a
belief system. Al Mustafa’s world is only
that of Orphalese and his words arebut
asupport for the individual as they traverse
the world around them. Hostile or docile,
painful or joyous, The Prophet takes the
reader in hand on a solitary walk through
the inner workings of a universal truth
that never juxtaposes against faith but
always reaffirms the eternal humanity
of spiritual guidance. Leading not with
the ironclad rule of organized religious
fervour but with an introspective calm
and clarity. The Prophet is best taken as an
inspired spiritual aid; everlasting, singular,
and without pretence, Gibran’s work is
both made for poetic enjoyment and
independent reflection. Its enigmatic guide
is faceless yet sure, the wisdom encased
between the books covers reinforces all
without care for creed or origin.
Available for free online via the
website of the same title, the simple,
poetic and cleansing tome is the perfect
salve for the dreary and unhappy days of
pandemic isolation.
The
Universal
Spirit
>» Timeless serenity
in a small book
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
Cue creates aides for the spirit, but
too often those aids are contained
within the culture and only serve the
dominant group of the culture. Stories of
wisdom and guidance are often trapped
within the confines of religion and barred
from secular sharing. One book that
transcended the trap of secular animosity
to religious teachings is The Prophet
written by the late Lebanese poet, Khalil
Gibran. Published in 1923, The Prophet
garnered immediate acclaim and has never
since sunken from wider cultural esteem.
But in the early ’60s, new-age spiritualists
and gurus brought Gibran’s work to the
fore. The book begins with Al Mustafa
waiting for a ship to come and return him
to his people after 12 years on Orphalese.
Al Mustafa spies from a hill a familiar mast
on the horizon. From there, written with
poetic elegance, The Prophet tells of the
last hours that Al Mustafa spends with the
people of Orphalese.
The Prophet is a book for solitude
and uncertainty; in the strange and
disconnected world of a pandemic, it is
a soothing reassurance that transcends
Photo by Matthew Fraser
6¢
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
The Prophet is a book for solitude and uncertainty; in
the strange and disconnected world of a pandemic,
it is a soothing reassurance that transcends
the confines of a single culture or faith.
the confines of a single culture or faith.
Blending the esoteric mists of eastern
religion with the simplified air of a western
tale, The Prophet manages to convey both
quiet reassurance and the beauty of the
mystic’s inner world. The villagers of the
island gather around Al Mustafa to ask
for his final guidance and final teachings
before this journey home. This is a book
that bares its heart through phrases
both simple and enigmatic. When asked
about time, Al Mustafa replies: “Of time
you would make a stream upon whose
bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s
timelessness, and knows that yesterday
is but today’s memory and tomorrow is
today’s dream.”
While The Prophet never strays
from the spiritual airs of a religious text,
its novella format allows it to exist as an
otherworldly addition to any reader’s
catalogue; it is living as fiction that travels
with the reader through dreams and
heartache alike. I recommend The Prophet
so frequently that I have two copies, one
for myself, printed in 1963—smelling of old
age and long-forgotten book piles—and
another printed in 2001 to lend to curious
friends and as an aid in tumultuous times.
The Prophet outlives Gibran not just for its
simple elegance and timeless guidance but
also for its non-denominal take on faith.
Though the Bible may have Jesus and the
Quran has immortalized Muhammed, Al
Mustafa is unbound by land origins or a
belief system. Al Mustafa’s world is only
that of Orphalese and his words arebut
asupport for the individual as they traverse
the world around them. Hostile or docile,
painful or joyous, The Prophet takes the
reader in hand on a solitary walk through
the inner workings of a universal truth
that never juxtaposes against faith but
always reaffirms the eternal humanity
of spiritual guidance. Leading not with
the ironclad rule of organized religious
fervour but with an introspective calm
and clarity. The Prophet is best taken as an
inspired spiritual aid; everlasting, singular,
and without pretence, Gibran’s work is
both made for poetic enjoyment and
independent reflection. Its enigmatic guide
is faceless yet sure, the wisdom encased
between the books covers reinforces all
without care for creed or origin.
Available for free online via the
website of the same title, the simple,
poetic and cleansing tome is the perfect
salve for the dreary and unhappy days of
pandemic isolation.
The
Universal
Spirit
>» Timeless serenity
in a small book
Matthew Fraser
Opinions Editor
Cue creates aides for the spirit, but
too often those aids are contained
within the culture and only serve the
dominant group of the culture. Stories of
wisdom and guidance are often trapped
within the confines of religion and barred
from secular sharing. One book that
transcended the trap of secular animosity
to religious teachings is The Prophet
written by the late Lebanese poet, Khalil
Gibran. Published in 1923, The Prophet
garnered immediate acclaim and has never
since sunken from wider cultural esteem.
But in the early ’60s, new-age spiritualists
and gurus brought Gibran’s work to the
fore. The book begins with Al Mustafa
waiting for a ship to come and return him
to his people after 12 years on Orphalese.
Al Mustafa spies from a hill a familiar mast
on the horizon. From there, written with
poetic elegance, The Prophet tells of the
last hours that Al Mustafa spends with the
people of Orphalese.
The Prophet is a book for solitude
and uncertainty; in the strange and
disconnected world of a pandemic, it is
a soothing reassurance that transcends
Photo by Matthew Fraser
6¢
Illustration by CJ Sommerfeld
The Prophet is a book for solitude and uncertainty; in
the strange and disconnected world of a pandemic,
it is a soothing reassurance that transcends
the confines of a single culture or faith.
the confines of a single culture or faith.
Blending the esoteric mists of eastern
religion with the simplified air of a western
tale, The Prophet manages to convey both
quiet reassurance and the beauty of the
mystic’s inner world. The villagers of the
island gather around Al Mustafa to ask
for his final guidance and final teachings
before this journey home. This is a book
that bares its heart through phrases
both simple and enigmatic. When asked
about time, Al Mustafa replies: “Of time
you would make a stream upon whose
bank you would sit and watch its flowing.
Yet the timeless in you is aware of life’s
timelessness, and knows that yesterday
is but today’s memory and tomorrow is
today’s dream.”
While The Prophet never strays
from the spiritual airs of a religious text,
its novella format allows it to exist as an
otherworldly addition to any reader’s
catalogue; it is living as fiction that travels
with the reader through dreams and
heartache alike. I recommend The Prophet
so frequently that I have two copies, one
for myself, printed in 1963—smelling of old
age and long-forgotten book piles—and
another printed in 2001 to lend to curious
friends and as an aid in tumultuous times.
The Prophet outlives Gibran not just for its
simple elegance and timeless guidance but
also for its non-denominal take on faith.
Though the Bible may have Jesus and the
Quran has immortalized Muhammed, Al
Mustafa is unbound by land origins or a
belief system. Al Mustafa’s world is only
that of Orphalese and his words arebut
asupport for the individual as they traverse
the world around them. Hostile or docile,
painful or joyous, The Prophet takes the
reader in hand on a solitary walk through
the inner workings of a universal truth
that never juxtaposes against faith but
always reaffirms the eternal humanity
of spiritual guidance. Leading not with
the ironclad rule of organized religious
fervour but with an introspective calm
and clarity. The Prophet is best taken as an
inspired spiritual aid; everlasting, singular,
and without pretence, Gibran’s work is
both made for poetic enjoyment and
independent reflection. Its enigmatic guide
is faceless yet sure, the wisdom encased
between the books covers reinforces all
without care for creed or origin.
Available for free online via the
website of the same title, the simple,
poetic and cleansing tome is the perfect
salve for the dreary and unhappy days of
pandemic isolation.