One thing most pagany books will advise you to do, is look for connections. Find the soft pull to do something odd or different, follow it. Look for patterns.
I've had a small occurence of "mouse." It began yesterday in the car, when I drove downtown with a small box of garbage that I picked up outside my front door. The entire trip, there was a small, pathetic scrabbling sound coming from the box. I was pretty sure it was a rodent of some sort, probably a mouse. It turns out to have just been the seatbelt pressing against the cardboard, but it kept me jumpy and guessing for a good 15 minutes--a very convincing sound. I'm still not sure if it was the seatbelt, it sounded awfully claw-y.
When I let the dogs in last evening, Chipper was trying to hide something from me. The little beagle had a mouse in his mouth. It was still alive, barely, and he dropped it on the ground when I made him. It twitched a few times.
That second one is pretty unique, I've never seen him go after anything living before.
If I look back on the day with "connection vision," I could see other points (I ran into a few Mickeys), but that's an old Discordian game, making connections (any five pebbles thrown together will form a pentagon, "I find the law of fives to be more and more manifest the harder I look!", et cetera. But those were two fairly strong moments.
Both of them are also thwarted, contained, trapped, killed moments. Not the positive side of mouse, whatever Mouse's meaning is, but a very vital side of one of the ultimate prey species.
Anyway, ramble, ramble. Back to work.
I've had a small occurence of "mouse." It began yesterday in the car, when I drove downtown with a small box of garbage that I picked up outside my front door. The entire trip, there was a small, pathetic scrabbling sound coming from the box. I was pretty sure it was a rodent of some sort, probably a mouse. It turns out to have just been the seatbelt pressing against the cardboard, but it kept me jumpy and guessing for a good 15 minutes--a very convincing sound. I'm still not sure if it was the seatbelt, it sounded awfully claw-y.
When I let the dogs in last evening, Chipper was trying to hide something from me. The little beagle had a mouse in his mouth. It was still alive, barely, and he dropped it on the ground when I made him. It twitched a few times.
That second one is pretty unique, I've never seen him go after anything living before.
If I look back on the day with "connection vision," I could see other points (I ran into a few Mickeys), but that's an old Discordian game, making connections (any five pebbles thrown together will form a pentagon, "I find the law of fives to be more and more manifest the harder I look!", et cetera. But those were two fairly strong moments.
Both of them are also thwarted, contained, trapped, killed moments. Not the positive side of mouse, whatever Mouse's meaning is, but a very vital side of one of the ultimate prey species.
Anyway, ramble, ramble. Back to work.
Profile
spottylogic- Spotty Logic
- Thrift Horror
Comments
For example: I don't analyze every single one of my dreams (if I remember them). However, if there is a dream that really disturbs me or sticks with me in the back of my mind, I know it has more significance than a random collection of copy/paste imagry.
I like your stories about the mouse. Noticing patterns and looking for connections is a most valuable skill to develope. One can get to the point that they can predict things with some accuracy (keeping in mind the chaotic variable that sometimes changes things or the connection you overlooked). Its true that one can find connections everywhere, but there is a very good reason for that. Connections are everywhere. The same is true for patterns. It just take a bit of practice to begin to notice them and dig deeper.
It could be that given enough connections and seeing the pattern in them, you might have predicted the thing with your dog and the mouse from the thing in the car... where 'mouse' was on your brain and the scratching brought it to conciousness by association.
<=) Of course, after watching the movie Pi, its probably a really good idea to take caution that you aren't 'forcing' connections or patterns on things that may or may not have the one you're trying to project. At least for me, I can usually tell that its genuine because it 'just comes to me' without me having to look for it (kinda like a moment of inspiration) or if I am looking for it, it just seems to click and fit in with all the other patterns and just seems to feel right.
My two cents worth, anyways. <=)
Oh, got that Memetics book that the author sent me for free. Haven't started on it yet (I'm three books behind as far as reading goes) But it looks really interesting. If you're interested in patterns, connections, as well as observation typish stuff... I'd suggest The Earth Path by Starhawk. Its definately worth any money or time you invest in it. And if nothing else, it'll give ya some ideas for how to boost your senses and 'notice' things that most people are too self involved to notice. Anywho.
Picking up Andrew's book Animal Magic, his associations with Mouse were "attention to detail"--since I was industriously worrying myself sick (literally) yesterday over my book study last night, trying to make sure it was going to be perfect, it's a reasonable way to interpret.
Memetic Magic--well, I still haven't gotten to page 50. It's not quite readable, and there's been other stuff's galore :) Your two cents is always appreciated!
The only two book series that I have (fiction wise) are the Recluse Saga by L.E. Modsitt Jr. and the Myst series by Rand Miller with David Wingrove. Both of these series, while read for sheer pleasure, have effected my philosophy and outlook on several things as well as give me inspiration.
The Recluse Saga, beginning with The Magic of Recluse, has to be one of the most influential works of fiction I've ever laid hands on. It (the first book) was a gift to me, many Christmases ago by my parents, and I just about own the entire series sans a few books. (Its a rather long series). Each book focuses on a different character, with the exception of the sequel to The Magic of Recluse several books later: The Death of Chaos. Those two are the only books of the series, I believe, that are told in First Person, and seem to be favorites of many. Below is my review on the series:
The Saga of Recluse deals mostly with the dualistic balance of Order and Chaos. The color of Order is black and the color of Choas is white. You begin on the Isle of Recluse where Order is worshiped and Chaos is not only despised, but ejected from the isle to the mainland. Recluse is a haven of sorts. You, as the main character, seem to question things too much, be a bit discontent with your situation, and therefore are the perfect candidate to be sent through this system of exile. You will be trained in combat and schooled in the dangers of the mainland or outside world. Then you will be shipped over there and dropped off for the period of a year. If you find the chaos of the outlying lands to be to your liking or, of course, if you die: You stay. If, however, you find that by the end of that period you have seen the 'darkness' (respectively, since order is darkness) and are ready to return to the isle to embrace a life of order, then you may return.
Each book devolopes the world in all its aspects. You see the immediate details of everyday life... you munch some stale cheese and bread as you travel, looking forward to the next inn you find. Danger is everywhere and one must be constantly aware, to points that sometimes may seem paranoia, to remain alive and well. You learn bit by bit how the economics effect politics and how it drastically changes the lives of everyone. You run into Order and Chaos mages who are called "Black Angels" and "White Demons" by the common folk, equally afraid of each. You learn more and more that things aren't as they seem.
The first book takes a stance of Order being good and Chaos evil. Granted, order is most often seen in healing and chaos mages tend to have a penchant for crisping people or even worse applications of their power. But each book in the series developes the Order and Chaos balance more and more and you begin to discover patterns, even as the character in the book is trying to figure them out. The further one delves into the series, the more unsettling the Isle of Order seems and one begins to feel that maybe concentrated order isn't all its cracked up to be. You see how Recluse was built... and how its creation effected and destroyed much of the mainlands natural balance. Ordinary characters you followed in previous books are mentioned in latter works as legends and their stories are murmured in stone corridor and whispered by sages. History, as it is recorded, is created by the one who 'won.' Truth and Lies are each decided by the one holding the pen. And you follow the life of one who becomes a chaos mage. And perhaps Chaos in itself, isn't evil. Great deeds wreak havoc on the world and costs are paid in full, and dearly so.
Delicately and beautifully written. Well developed and refined. You learn new realizations about the nature of magic and the universe as the character stubles upon them. This series is a must for anyone interested in fantasy, and starting out in the areas of magic or the occult. You see people learn their abilities by trial and error, and pass those lessons on to the ones beneath them. And it gives a great understanding on the nature of the universe: Order and Chaos being found everywhere... yin and yang, light and dark, hot and cold... This series was key in the development of my ideals earlier in life before I ever left Christianity to follow my own path; Ideals which later evolved into my Order-Chaos or "Balance Theory."
Cleverly written. Oh, and you meet a grey mage or two in the series as well. Very important, they tie everything together, and in my opinion, represent the heart of the message being delivered in the series. Enjoy!
This series is much shorter than the last one, comprised of only three books:
Myst - The book of Ti'Ana
Myst - The book of Atrus
Myst - The book of D'ni
You may remember the computer games that they are probably still making, I guess. Although fun and very beautiful, the games have the same effect of tossing you into a world devoid of characters and filled with mute culture and artifice to solve puzzles. The books are anything but. Well, there are mysteries to be solved.
The hardbacks are very beautiful.. the paper it is printed on having the look of stained parchment and the jackets looking like a bound tome with a D'ni number emblazoned on it in a circle. (The number system you should've learned from trial and error in the game Riven. *winks*) Don't worry, though. The books would stand alone, even if the games had never existed. In fact, the games become alot cooler once you realize why touching the little picture inside a book zaps you to somewhere altogether different. If you don't wanna put up the money for hardback, then even the paperbacks are beautifully bound! The difference being, that the paper it is printed on isn't stained.
The reason for the books being so artistic in design is revealed once you delve into the story. Books are sacred. Books are the key to the devine and windows to multiple worlds.
The D'ni have this art. It is the art of writing. They have this art which allows them to write a 'world' into a book, describing everything in detail; its mechanics as well as everything else. In these tomes are little windows... in which you see the world you've developed. To touch the window... to make contact with it with your skin, pulls you into that book, or rather, that world you have written. With these books, you can 'link' to different places and can be used as a great means of travel. But the art is sacred, and sometimes misunderstood.
You read about a man who approaches insanity. He believes that the D'ni are a race of gods who can create entire worlds and civilizations at will. And this begs the question... are they 'creating' these places, or are they merely creating bridges to one of an infinate amount of worlds and variations on them... as infinate as the imagination of the author?
Used creatively, this art can be used for very sinister purposes as well. Prison books... and other such things... pages being torn out or burnt... books lost... or old tomes that are not understood being open and linked to.
This series is, in a word, Beautiful. I couldn't put them down when I started reading them. A sleeping masterpiece that is often overlooked, being mistaken for a spin-off of some computer game and most likely being thought to be just as boring (as some people found the games to be). Quite possibly the richest story text that I've ever read which brings into light the possibility of the infinate, and how subtle changes can have butterfly effects you wouldn't believe.
The D'ni writing almost seems like a programming language... programming these worlds and distant lands... one who thinks themselves a god changes one variable, and when they link back to the world... well... I'll let you read for yourself. <=)
Great on every level: Character development, world and civilization development, perfectly described and illustrated... Some of the most beautiful books I've ever read. ^_^
burntmelted offering of cheese (with garlic, kirsch-wasser, lemon, pepper) to the cheese gods.