Thursday, May 31, 2007
A Story Then
About a man and how one day he came to be awake. He had watched and watched, stunned for so many years. Everything around it had a peculiar dazzle, a gleaming shimmer of something more. A hallucination here and there, hearing something, seeing something. A memory, a dream, a rude sort of awakening, a sense eventually of some sort of desperation, a feeling of stunned bewilderment and jawbreaking awe of the repression of it all, the bitter feeling that he was a hostage. Free to wander, think, and even sometimes feel, but a hostage nonetheless. There were many sorrows and very few joys. Sedation was the key, the only possible reflex. He cut himself off, he let it swallow him. He pulled it around himself, this prison, and allowed it to do what it would. He fell into it and it writhed around him, tugging, pulling. And here it was he remained. For a long time the blanket of this thing swathed him and he just lay there, it flowing around him. He realized there was something going on but he didn't know what to do about it. So, he waited. He also watched. He flowed with it, mostly tossing but as I said, flowing (sometimes). He eventually became brave enough to become active, and lo and behold but sparkling glimmers between the folds. Shining pin points of light, differences in the landscape presented themselves to him. At first there were few, but then there were more and more still and he began to pick apart the details, mostly noticing that the size denoted distance, and the big ones being closest he grasped for the until suddenly one he was with combined and sprang forth and caught a glimpse of liberation! An answer was present before he sank back down and eventually even the brighteset lights faded into the depths of the folds but a few eventually came to remain, orbiting. Especially one. She shone like a diamond in the eyes of the one who is more than a mere jeweler and they came together closer and closer seeking an equilibrius balancing of opposite forces creating sameness. And there he stays and so does she and together they hope to shine onwards forever.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Familiar
Today I was thinking about familiars. Witches and familiars are an unusual things, don't you think?
I guess the line of reasoning actually started a while ago, a certain event triggered this particular thought. That event was itself inspired by an event. A kind of sequence of events is what this particular realization is about.
It started a long time ago. I was at the North Country Fair. There is always someone selling kind of cool or sometimes really cool books. There is always the interesting teachings of Don Juan. There is usually mystically oriented sorts of things. One particular book that came into my possession
(so many esses in the word posession, and indeed in the word esses. In fact, it's an inverted pattern! sess sses! Don't they look like little snakes?)
it either came into my posession because I bought it or because Angela bought it. It seems likely to me that Angela actually bought it because she is very interested in wicca and earth-based spirituality. In either case, it's not the greatest book. However, the author is an interesting character.
It is not the greatest book : I say this not because of any sorts of stylistic and thematic opinions, (even though the author definitely is not afraid to reveal her biases!), but because the subject at hand isn't particularly all that exciting. There is a great teaching being attempted, but it is teaching that people who are expecting the quick and easy way are wrong, that there is an amount of effort that must be put forth before results are at hand. She discusses how easily people of the time were falling into the trap of thinking fantastically rather than realistically concerning the issue of witchcraft.
Fantastically : One believes that they can achieve instant satisfaction, the result of drug use for the main part. This book was released around the time of the attempt at a drug revolution, (which in a way succeeded), in the 1960-70's. LSD caused people to act like children; the people who are just hypnotized already by the dazzling illusions of reality are quick to be swayed by the pop fanatisicm which became applied to the hippie culture. Harmful things were resulting because people believed that all they had to do was drugs and orgies in order to have fantastic things begin, and they would get lost in the sensuality of the whole thing, which is more of a satanic thing and was bring harm to the wiccan community.
Realistically : Wicca is a strong family-oriented nature/nurture religion which stresses that one must merely orient down the path of their choice and have faith in the results matching their wish for an outcome. Strong rituals have become a centrality of this religion, not so much because results can be obtained, (and they CAN be obtained), but because you have faith that they can be. That is, you will proceed with the action knowing that it is the right thing to do for that which you wish the most to occur. And I am not talking on the level of simply lighting a candle and thinking that someone will love you , I am thinking more of lighting a candle because you know with certainty that the path ahead of you involves someone to love and you are attempting to orient towards that path. It seems a fine line, but really it is a matter of infinite difference. Intention is the key. Are you looking for the quick fix or the journey? Hence the strong family based themes. I mean, who are you going to pass the book of shadows and the example of your faith down to? A stranger? Noble, but how do you know who that stranger REALLY is?
Boring? I said that the subject is boring. What about the magic that can happen?
Indeed, the magic is exciting and the possibility of it is real, depending on how you think of magic. Is magic the act of twirling your fingers and tapping your toes expecting something solid to come? Is it placing items together to make new items that you want, or influencing somebody using your mind and concentration? Is is the abillity to go out of your body?
Yes and no.
Once again, we have a fine line.
Magic is definitely these things, but my example of the moment is somewhat devoid of a seemingly small fact. That is : The result is not what is important. It is the attempt that is important.
Indeed, a cliche. But, a cliche for a reason.
)))) side track. please get used to these if you are reading this.
I would like to discuss the word cliche for a moment. A cliche can be regarded as a negative social phenomenon, that being the utterance of words in a sequence familiar to the listener in such a way that a faux pas occurs.
(Faux Pas : The term comes from French and literally means "false step". The french use it to describe somebody stumbling, or as a general way of describing general errors. We use it to describe, mainly and specifically, a misstep in a social context.)
I read on Wikipedia the following.
Because the novelty or frequency of an expression's use varies across different times and places, whether or not it is a cliché depends largely on who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment.
I find this important because of the last half, concerning the specific moment of the utterance in the context of it being a self-contained moment with a beginning middle and end. (The beginning being what was said or done before the utterance to facilitate the occurence of the utterance, (be it an awkward pause, an intoxicated person, someone not skilled in socializing, etc.), the middle being the actual utterance itself, and the end being the result of the utterance). All of which depend, indeed, on "who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment."
Another thing noted in the same Wikipedia article
A cliché is also a term historically used in printing, for a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype.
Interesting. You would know why it is interesting if you ever studied the english language in any sort of depth, because if you are one of those who have you realize that in the historical sense of the english language the printing press is a powerful occurence, and anything that has to do with the printing press when it comes to a general or even a vaguely penetrating account of this history is information one should attempt to cause their mind to cling to.
I looked up stereotype and came up with this
The word stereotype was invented by Firmin Didot in the world of printing; it was originally a duplicate impression of an original typographical element, used for printing instead of THE ORIGINAL American journalist Walter Lippmann coined the metaphor, calling a stereotype a "picture in our heads" saying "Whether right or wrong, ...imagination is shaped by the pictures seen... Consequently, they lead to stereotypes that are hard to shake." (Public Opinion, 1922, 95-156). To note, cliché and stereotype were both originally printers' words, and in their literal printers' meanings were synonymous. Specifically, cliché was a French word for the printing surface for a stereotype.
There is much to ponder here.
But I digress.
It is indeed a cliche to state that "it is not the journey but the destination that is important." I am sure that you have heard this in one for or another several times before, probably in different ways. It is one of the most recognizable cliches I would argue. Indeed, it is so prevalent in human language and expression and understanding that one even finds it in the religions of the world, whether those religions knew of each other's existence or not. It may also be argued that the essence of all these religions is simply taoism, tao meaning "the way" or "the path". But I am again digressing. The prevalence of this particular cliche inverses the regular negative connatation of the term into a positive one. It is a prevalent enough cliche to be considered an archetypal cliche; that is, a cliche that has risen to the status of linguistic archetype.
In the study of magic this archetypal statement is precisely why the study of this witchcraft business is precisely not to be mocked. It is to be respected. I call the book boring because really, it seems boring to dedicate oneself to one specific way. It seems boring that one has to work and toil for the results they wish to obtain. Most want instant gratification and therefore boredom is bad. And boredom can be bad. It is true. It can be a trying and often unpredicted mental exercise that is tiring and stressful. But the problem with the word is that people are prone to judge it. Just because boredom can be uncomfortable doesn't mean it is bad. After all, the open wound closes the most. No pain no gain.
And hence the value of the book. Sybil leek demonstrates what she can do with her faith by expressing this cliche and then demonstrating results in her own life that she experiences due to her respect for her ancient family tradition. Handed down from generation to generation in faithfulness, the practice has its rewards. She writes how she has frequently stunned media skeptics with seances, one time even seemingly summoning a wind from nowhere. However, if one listens to the way she tells this story, one realizes that she did not so much summon the wind by commanding it to come, her bond with her family and the knowledge being gathered in trust through generations of respect caused the wind itself to form a relationship of respect with her at that moment. She did not force it to come by reciting some ritual or doing some goofy shuffle. It sensed that she would like it to come and it obliged and she was awash in pure joy from this event. It was an anwered prayer.
Knock and the door will open.
The point of all of this is to mention how in this book there is much to be said about her raven, Mr. Hotfoot Jackson.
Actually, I shouldn't say her raven. She doesn't own it the way most people own pets. Especially nowadays, what with the "toy" breed of dogs and other animals being owned as fashion accessories or even in some occassions motifs in the interior design of homes and occupied space.
In fact, she has simply become "familiar" with the animal. She has connected with it by simply being with it and letting it be with her. She has familiarized herself with the fact that this is not just a mindless animal, and that it is living with her the same as she is living with it. Indeed, she too is "familiar" to it.
and now we come to the wrap up.
I originally said that an event inspired an event which inspired an event and that is why I am writing today.
I started with
event a ---> event b
event b ---> event c
But, event b is not important, so we will skip it. Why? Because in the time between the beginning of this writing, (about fourty minutes ago) and now I have forgotten what that event was.
so effectively I have simply described it thusly
event a ---> event c
which, truthfully is adequate, because the main thought was the paragraph right before "and now we come to the wrap up." this whole writing, all the time I spent on event a, the buying of the book
!wait I remember Event B was simply the reading of the book, and event c was the thought inspired by the reading of the book! So really, it is more like an equation than a linear motif!
instead of the flowing sequence of events I have
event a + event b = event c
wait, addition is a linear motif.
Well you get the point.
event c was the thought that made me write this today.
without equations results would have no meanings.
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
ezz
I guess the line of reasoning actually started a while ago, a certain event triggered this particular thought. That event was itself inspired by an event. A kind of sequence of events is what this particular realization is about.
It started a long time ago. I was at the North Country Fair. There is always someone selling kind of cool or sometimes really cool books. There is always the interesting teachings of Don Juan. There is usually mystically oriented sorts of things. One particular book that came into my possession
(so many esses in the word posession, and indeed in the word esses. In fact, it's an inverted pattern! sess sses! Don't they look like little snakes?)
it either came into my posession because I bought it or because Angela bought it. It seems likely to me that Angela actually bought it because she is very interested in wicca and earth-based spirituality. In either case, it's not the greatest book. However, the author is an interesting character.
It is not the greatest book : I say this not because of any sorts of stylistic and thematic opinions, (even though the author definitely is not afraid to reveal her biases!), but because the subject at hand isn't particularly all that exciting. There is a great teaching being attempted, but it is teaching that people who are expecting the quick and easy way are wrong, that there is an amount of effort that must be put forth before results are at hand. She discusses how easily people of the time were falling into the trap of thinking fantastically rather than realistically concerning the issue of witchcraft.
Fantastically : One believes that they can achieve instant satisfaction, the result of drug use for the main part. This book was released around the time of the attempt at a drug revolution, (which in a way succeeded), in the 1960-70's. LSD caused people to act like children; the people who are just hypnotized already by the dazzling illusions of reality are quick to be swayed by the pop fanatisicm which became applied to the hippie culture. Harmful things were resulting because people believed that all they had to do was drugs and orgies in order to have fantastic things begin, and they would get lost in the sensuality of the whole thing, which is more of a satanic thing and was bring harm to the wiccan community.
Realistically : Wicca is a strong family-oriented nature/nurture religion which stresses that one must merely orient down the path of their choice and have faith in the results matching their wish for an outcome. Strong rituals have become a centrality of this religion, not so much because results can be obtained, (and they CAN be obtained), but because you have faith that they can be. That is, you will proceed with the action knowing that it is the right thing to do for that which you wish the most to occur. And I am not talking on the level of simply lighting a candle and thinking that someone will love you , I am thinking more of lighting a candle because you know with certainty that the path ahead of you involves someone to love and you are attempting to orient towards that path. It seems a fine line, but really it is a matter of infinite difference. Intention is the key. Are you looking for the quick fix or the journey? Hence the strong family based themes. I mean, who are you going to pass the book of shadows and the example of your faith down to? A stranger? Noble, but how do you know who that stranger REALLY is?
Boring? I said that the subject is boring. What about the magic that can happen?
Indeed, the magic is exciting and the possibility of it is real, depending on how you think of magic. Is magic the act of twirling your fingers and tapping your toes expecting something solid to come? Is it placing items together to make new items that you want, or influencing somebody using your mind and concentration? Is is the abillity to go out of your body?
Yes and no.
Once again, we have a fine line.
Magic is definitely these things, but my example of the moment is somewhat devoid of a seemingly small fact. That is : The result is not what is important. It is the attempt that is important.
Indeed, a cliche. But, a cliche for a reason.
)))) side track. please get used to these if you are reading this.
I would like to discuss the word cliche for a moment. A cliche can be regarded as a negative social phenomenon, that being the utterance of words in a sequence familiar to the listener in such a way that a faux pas occurs.
(Faux Pas : The term comes from French and literally means "false step". The french use it to describe somebody stumbling, or as a general way of describing general errors. We use it to describe, mainly and specifically, a misstep in a social context.)
I read on Wikipedia the following.
Because the novelty or frequency of an expression's use varies across different times and places, whether or not it is a cliché depends largely on who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment.
I find this important because of the last half, concerning the specific moment of the utterance in the context of it being a self-contained moment with a beginning middle and end. (The beginning being what was said or done before the utterance to facilitate the occurence of the utterance, (be it an awkward pause, an intoxicated person, someone not skilled in socializing, etc.), the middle being the actual utterance itself, and the end being the result of the utterance). All of which depend, indeed, on "who uses it, the context in which it is used, and who is making the judgment."
Another thing noted in the same Wikipedia article
A cliché is also a term historically used in printing, for a printing plate cast from movable type. This is also called a stereotype.
Interesting. You would know why it is interesting if you ever studied the english language in any sort of depth, because if you are one of those who have you realize that in the historical sense of the english language the printing press is a powerful occurence, and anything that has to do with the printing press when it comes to a general or even a vaguely penetrating account of this history is information one should attempt to cause their mind to cling to.
I looked up stereotype and came up with this
The word stereotype was invented by Firmin Didot in the world of printing; it was originally a duplicate impression of an original typographical element, used for printing instead of THE ORIGINAL American journalist Walter Lippmann coined the metaphor, calling a stereotype a "picture in our heads" saying "Whether right or wrong, ...imagination is shaped by the pictures seen... Consequently, they lead to stereotypes that are hard to shake." (Public Opinion, 1922, 95-156). To note, cliché and stereotype were both originally printers' words, and in their literal printers' meanings were synonymous. Specifically, cliché was a French word for the printing surface for a stereotype.
There is much to ponder here.
But I digress.
It is indeed a cliche to state that "it is not the journey but the destination that is important." I am sure that you have heard this in one for or another several times before, probably in different ways. It is one of the most recognizable cliches I would argue. Indeed, it is so prevalent in human language and expression and understanding that one even finds it in the religions of the world, whether those religions knew of each other's existence or not. It may also be argued that the essence of all these religions is simply taoism, tao meaning "the way" or "the path". But I am again digressing. The prevalence of this particular cliche inverses the regular negative connatation of the term into a positive one. It is a prevalent enough cliche to be considered an archetypal cliche; that is, a cliche that has risen to the status of linguistic archetype.
In the study of magic this archetypal statement is precisely why the study of this witchcraft business is precisely not to be mocked. It is to be respected. I call the book boring because really, it seems boring to dedicate oneself to one specific way. It seems boring that one has to work and toil for the results they wish to obtain. Most want instant gratification and therefore boredom is bad. And boredom can be bad. It is true. It can be a trying and often unpredicted mental exercise that is tiring and stressful. But the problem with the word is that people are prone to judge it. Just because boredom can be uncomfortable doesn't mean it is bad. After all, the open wound closes the most. No pain no gain.
And hence the value of the book. Sybil leek demonstrates what she can do with her faith by expressing this cliche and then demonstrating results in her own life that she experiences due to her respect for her ancient family tradition. Handed down from generation to generation in faithfulness, the practice has its rewards. She writes how she has frequently stunned media skeptics with seances, one time even seemingly summoning a wind from nowhere. However, if one listens to the way she tells this story, one realizes that she did not so much summon the wind by commanding it to come, her bond with her family and the knowledge being gathered in trust through generations of respect caused the wind itself to form a relationship of respect with her at that moment. She did not force it to come by reciting some ritual or doing some goofy shuffle. It sensed that she would like it to come and it obliged and she was awash in pure joy from this event. It was an anwered prayer.
Knock and the door will open.
The point of all of this is to mention how in this book there is much to be said about her raven, Mr. Hotfoot Jackson.
Actually, I shouldn't say her raven. She doesn't own it the way most people own pets. Especially nowadays, what with the "toy" breed of dogs and other animals being owned as fashion accessories or even in some occassions motifs in the interior design of homes and occupied space.
In fact, she has simply become "familiar" with the animal. She has connected with it by simply being with it and letting it be with her. She has familiarized herself with the fact that this is not just a mindless animal, and that it is living with her the same as she is living with it. Indeed, she too is "familiar" to it.
and now we come to the wrap up.
I originally said that an event inspired an event which inspired an event and that is why I am writing today.
I started with
event a ---> event b
event b ---> event c
But, event b is not important, so we will skip it. Why? Because in the time between the beginning of this writing, (about fourty minutes ago) and now I have forgotten what that event was.
so effectively I have simply described it thusly
event a ---> event c
which, truthfully is adequate, because the main thought was the paragraph right before "and now we come to the wrap up." this whole writing, all the time I spent on event a, the buying of the book
!wait I remember Event B was simply the reading of the book, and event c was the thought inspired by the reading of the book! So really, it is more like an equation than a linear motif!
instead of the flowing sequence of events I have
event a + event b = event c
wait, addition is a linear motif.
Well you get the point.
event c was the thought that made me write this today.
without equations results would have no meanings.
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
ezz
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