Writers & Artists Spirituality Series

The golden string

I give you the end of a golden string;
Only wind it into a ball,
It will lead you in at Heaven’s gate,
Built in Jerusalem’s wall …

England! awake! awake! awake!
Jerusalem thy sister calls!
Why wilt thou sleep the sleep of death,
And close her from thy ancient walls?

Thy hills and valleys felt her feet
Gently upon their bosoms move:
Thy gates beheld sweet Zion’s ways;
Then was a time of joy and love.

And now the time returns again:
Our souls exult, and London’s towers
Receive the Lamb of God to dwell
In England’s green and pleasant bowers.
—William Blake

THE WRITERS & ARTISTS SPIRITUALITY SERIES on The Culturium offers a contemplative exploration of the spiritual dimensions in the lives and works of writers and artists rooted in the south of England. Through a blend of prose and imagery, it delves into how landscapes like the South Downs and the High Weald have inspired creative minds, weaving together themes of nature, art and transcendence.

Each instalment traces a golden thread linking personal revelation with artistic expression. Whether through mysticism, solitude or a deep communion with the natural world, these writers and artists reveal how the spiritual quest has shaped their voice and vision. In revisiting their lives, legacies and architectural inheritance, we are invited not only to engage more deeply but also to see afresh, attuning ourselves to the quiet mystery at the heart of all true creation.