The Sun, the Sea, and the Stars

Ancient Wisdom as a Healing Journey

About the Book

A beautiful visual representation of personal growth and healing based around striking affirmations, mantras, and ancient wisdom, from Lao Tzu to Rumi and beyond

When it seems that you have been left behind, in a moment of stillness you might realize that the infinite stars, the restless sea, and the patient moon are all traveling along with you.
 
In this beautiful collection, artist Iulia Bochis pairs visual storytelling with timeless wisdom to take you on a voyage of self-discovery through the seasons of life. Following a traveler as they face the changes of fall, the loneliness of winter, the hopeful nature of spring, and the happiness of summer, these pages capture the grief, transformation, healing, and growth we all experience on the journey toward self-love. Guided by Iulia’s insightful words and punctuated with Zen proverbs and quotes from prominent thinkers from Lao Tzu to Rumi, this vibrantly illustrated book will inspire you to trust the process, find comfort in new beginnings, and reflect on the beauty and magic that exists in the world around you.
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Excerpt

The Sun, the Sea, and the Stars

There is a season


I think getting started is often the most difficult part of any task.

Beginnings rarely meet us alone. They often bring along fear, doubt, uncertainty, and many other thoughts that don’t make things any easier. Those were even the feelings I had before starting this book. Yet once I got going, everything started falling into place, and soon enough I found myself walking down this path full of joy and excitement.

When I take a moment to think about it, I realize this applies to almost everything I have ever attempted in my life. From learning to ride a bicycle, to moving away for university and then sharing my art with the world. If I think even further, I realize that so many of the moments I have lived through, I have also read about in books, heard in songs or witnessed in my friends’ lives.

This book was born from a deep-rooted feeling that, while we are all different in so many ways, we also have so much in common. This book is a story about the various moments of significance we face as we journey through our lives. Some of these moments are: Change, Loneliness, Love, and Happiness. However, in this story you will find them posing as: Autumn, Winter, Spring, and Summer. As much as I think of these names as seasons in the outside world, I also think of them as the seasons of our souls.

I would like you to think of this book as a mirror. A mirror that reflects your wonderful inner beauty and the magic of the world surrounding you. And the world truly is a magical place, isn’t it? During the day the birds sing their songs and the sun travels across the sky, illuminating everything. In the depths of darkness, the moon and the stars shine down on us, and the waves crash endlessly along the shores.

I hope this book will remind you that there is beauty in everything, if your heart is open to receive it. I also hope this book will show you that, even during the darkest night, you are never alone. When it seems that you have been left behind, in a moment of stillness you might realize that the infinite stars, the restless sea, and the patient moon are all traveling along with you.

A traveler has agreed to journey with us throughout this book. The starting point of their adventure is somewhere in the midst of Autumn, the season of change. I have found change to be a very difficult topic in my life, and I know this to be the case for many others. So let this season be our first teacher in transforming, surrendering, and letting go.

With love,

Iulia

About the Author

Iulia Bochis
Iulia Bochis is a Romanian illustrator based in Switzerland and the creator of the Instagram page iuliastration. More by Iulia Bochis
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