Myth of the Day:THE RED ETIN
THERE were ance twa widows that lived on a small bit o' ground, which they rented from a farmer. Ane of them had twa sons, and the other had ane; and by-and- by it was time for the wife that had twa sons to send them away to seeke their fortune. So she told her eldest son ae day to take a can and bring her water from the well, that she might bake a cake for him; and however much or however little water he might bring, the cake would be great or sma' accordingly; and that cake was to be a' that she could gie him when he went on his travels.
The lad gaed away wi' the can to the well, and filled t wi' water, and then came away hame again; but the can being broken the maist part of the water had run out before he got back. So his cake was very sma'; yet sma' as it was, his mother asked if he was willing to take the half of it with her blessing, telling him that, if he chose rather to have the hale, he would only get it wi' her curse. The young man, thinking he might hae to travel a far way, and not knowing when or how he might get other provisions, said he would like to hae the hale cake, com of his mother's malison what like; so she gave him the hale cake, and her malison alang wi't. Then he took his brither aside, and gave him a knife to keep till he should come back, desiring him to look at it every morning, and as lang as it continued to be clear, then he might be sure that the owner of it was well; but if it grew dim and rusty, then for certain some ill had befallen him.
So the young man set out to seek his fortune. And he gaed a' that day, and a' the next day; and on the third day, in the afternoon, he came up to where a shepherd was sitting with a flock o' sheep. And he gaed up to the shepherd and asked him wha the sheep belanged to; and the man answered:
"The Red Etin of Ireland
Ance lived in Bellygan,
And stole King Malcolm's daughter,
The King of fair Scotland.
He beats her, he binds her,
He lays her on a band;
And every day he dings her
With a bright silver wand
Like Julian the Roman
He's one that fears no man.
It's said there's ane predestinate
To be his mortal foe;
But that man is yet unborn
And lang may it be so."
The young man then went on his journey; and he had not gone far when he espied an old man with white locks herding a flock of swine; and he gaed up to him
and asked whose swine these were, when the man answered: "The Red Etin of Ireland" --
Note: (Repeat the verses above.) Then the young man gaed on a bit farther, and came to another very old man herding goats; and when he asked whose goats they were, the answer was: "The Red Etin of Ireland" --
Note: (Repeat the verses again.) This old man also told him to beware of the next beasts that he should meet, for they were of a very different kind from any he had yet seen.
So the young man went on, and by-and-by he saw a multitude of very dreadfu' beasts, ilk ane o' them wi' twa heads, and on every head four horns. And he was sore frightened, and ran away from them as fast as he could; and glad was he when he came to a castle that stood on a hillock, wi' the door standing wide to the wa'. And he gaed into the castle for shelter, and there he saw an auld wife sitting beside the kitchen fire. He asked the wife if he might stay there for the night, as he was tired wi' a lang journey; and the wife said he might, but it was not a good place for him to be in, as it belanged to the Red Etin, who was a very terrible beast, wi' three heads, that spared no living man he could get hold of. The young man would have gone away, but he was afraid of the beasts on the outside of the castle; so he beseeched the old woman to conceal him as well as she could, and not to tell the Etin that he was there. He thought, if he could put over the night, he might get away in the morning without meeting wi' the beasts, and so escape. But he had not been long in his hidy-hole before the awful Etin came in; and nae sooner was he in than he was heard crying:
"Snouk but and snouk ben,
I find the smell of an earthly man;
Be he living, or be he dead,
His heart this night shall kitchen my bread.
"Kitchen," that is, "season."
The monster soon found the poor young man, and pulled him from his hole. And when he had got him out he told him that if he could answer him three questions his life should be spared. The first was: Whether Ireland or Scotland was first inhabited? The second was: Whether man was made for woman, or woman for man? The third was: Whether men or brutes were made first? The lad not being able to answer one of these questions, the Red Etin took a mace and knocked him on the head, and turned him into a pillar of stone.
On the morning after this happened the younger brither took out the knife to look at it, and he was grieved to find it a' brown wi' rust. He told his mother that the time was now come for him to go away upon his travels also; so she requested him to take the can to the well for water, that she might bake a cake for him. The can being broken, he brought hame as little water as the other had done, and the cake was as little. She asked whether he would have the hale cake wi' her malison, or the half wi' her blessing; and, like his brither, he thought it best to have the hale cake, come o' the malison what might. So he gaed away; and everything happened to him that had happened to his brother!
The other widow and her son heard of a' that had happened frae a fairy, and the young man determined that he would also go upon his travels, and see if he could do anything to relieve his twa friends. So his mother gave him a can to go to the well and bring home water, that she might bake him a cake for his journey. And he gaed, and as he was bringing hame the water, a raven owre abune his head cried to him to look, and he would see that the water was running out. And he was a young man of sense, and seeing the water running out, he took some clay and patched up the holes, so that he brought home enough water to bake a large cake. When his mother put it to him to take the half-cake wi' her blessing, he took it in preference to having the hale wi' her malison; and yet the half was bigger than what the other lads had got a'thegither.
So he gaed away on his journey; and after he had traveled a far way he met wi' an auld woman, that asked him if he would give her a bit of his bannock.
And he said he would gladly do that, and so he gave her a piece of the bannock; and for that she gied him a magical wand, that she said might yet be of service to him if he took care to use it rightly. Then the auld woman, who was a fairy, told him a great deal that whould happen to him, and what he ought to do in a' circumstances; and after that she vanished in an instant out o' his sight. He gaed on a great way farther, and then he came up to the old man herding the sheep; and when he asked whose sheep these were, the answer was:
"The Red Etin of Ireland
Ance lived in Bellygan,
And stole King Malcolm's daughter,
The King of fair Scotland.
He beats her, he binds her,
He lays her on a band;
And every day he dings her
With a bright silver wand.
Like Julian the Roman,
He's one that fears no man,
But now I fear his end is near,
And destiny at hand;
And you're to be, I plainly see,
The heir of all his land."
Note: (Repeat the same inquiries to the man attending the swine and the
man attending the goats, with the same answer in each case.)
When he came to the place where the monstrous beasts were standing, he did not stop nor run away, but went boldly through among them. One came up roaring with open mouth to devour him, when he struck it with his wand, and laid it in an instant dead at his feet. He soon came to the Etin's castle, where he knocked, and was admitted. The auld woman that sat by the fire warned him of the terrible Etin, and what had been the fate of the twa brithers; but he was not to be daunted. The monster soon came in, saying:
"Snouk but and snouk ben,
I find the smell of an earthly man;
Be he living, or be he dead,
His heart shall be kitchen to my bread."
He quickly espied the young man, and bade him come forth on the floor. And then he put the three questions to him, but the young man had been told everything by the good fairy, so he was able to answer all the questions. When the Etin found this he knew that his power was gone. The young man then took up the axe and hewed off the monster's three heads. He next asked the old woman to show him where the King's daughters lay; and the old woman took him upstairs and opened a great many doors, and out of every door came a beautiful lady who had been imprisoned there by the Etin; and ane o' the ladies was the King's daughter. She also took him down into a low room, and there stood two stone pillars that he had only to touch wi' his wand, when his two friends and neighbors started into life. And the hale o' the prisoners were overjoyed at their deliverance, which they all acknowledged to be owing to the prudent young man. Next day they a' set out for the King's Court, and a gallant company they made. And the King married his daughter to the young man that had delivered her, and gave a noble's daughter to ilk ane o' the other young men; and so they a' lived happily a' the rest o' their days.
Friday, January 30, 2004
Word Of the Day: Voluptuary
(noun)
[vah-LUP-choo-er'-ee]
1. a person whose life is devoted to the enjoyment of luxury and sensual pleasures; a sensualist: "Lynn resolved to cut down on his hours and recapture a bit of the lifestyle he had known as a young voluptuary."
adjective form: voluptuary
Origin:
Approximately 1610; perhaps borrowed from French, 'voluptuaire'; from Medieval Latin, 'voluptuarius'; from Latin, 'voluptarius': of or pertaining to pleasure, from 'voluptas': pleasure, from 'volup': pleasurably, from 'volupe,' neuter of 'volupis': pleasant, related to 'velle': to wish, which is related to the root 'wel-': (1) to wish, to will.
Courtesy of Vocab Vitmains.
[vah-LUP-choo-er'-ee]
1. a person whose life is devoted to the enjoyment of luxury and sensual pleasures; a sensualist: "Lynn resolved to cut down on his hours and recapture a bit of the lifestyle he had known as a young voluptuary."
adjective form: voluptuary
Origin:
Approximately 1610; perhaps borrowed from French, 'voluptuaire'; from Medieval Latin, 'voluptuarius'; from Latin, 'voluptarius': of or pertaining to pleasure, from 'voluptas': pleasure, from 'volup': pleasurably, from 'volupe,' neuter of 'volupis': pleasant, related to 'velle': to wish, which is related to the root 'wel-': (1) to wish, to will.
Courtesy of Vocab Vitmains.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Pirates Of the Carribean...
...finally, I shall get to see it! Shall report my findings shortly.
The Two Mrs. Carrolls
Starring Humphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck.
I'd heard such great things about this movie, and know that bits of Dead Again were based on it. How was I to know it would suck so incomparably? It sucked bugs! It sucked roaches! Poor Humphrey, perhaps he died of the embarrassment...
I'd heard such great things about this movie, and know that bits of Dead Again were based on it. How was I to know it would suck so incomparably? It sucked bugs! It sucked roaches! Poor Humphrey, perhaps he died of the embarrassment...
Sent to me by the incomparable Lizzie Stardust...
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 5:24 PM
Subject: Fwd: DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the
back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child
reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would
never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average
of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament
building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears
never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop"
with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel
that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a
chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every
letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely
solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are
read
left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous":
tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels
in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one
row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
...Now you know everything
Sent: Monday, January 26, 2004 5:24 PM
Subject: Fwd: DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?
A dime has 118 ridges around the edge.
A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
A crocodile cannot stick out its tongue.
A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.
A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
A "jiffy" is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.
A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.
A snail can sleep for three years.
Al Capone's business card said he was a used furniture dealer.
All 50 states are listed across the top of the Lincoln Memorial on the
back of the $5 bill.
Almonds are a member of the peach family.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They don't appear until the child
reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds. Dogs only have about 10.
"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
If the population of China walked past you, in single file, the line would
never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you are an average American, in your whole life, you will spend an average
of 6 months waiting at red lights.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable.
No word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple.
On a Canadian two dollar bill, the flag flying over the Parliament
building is an American flag.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears
never stop growing.
Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite.
Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
"Stewardesses" is the longest word typed with only the left hand and "lollipop"
with your right.
The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.
The cruise liner, QE2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel
that it burns.
The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a
chocolate bar melted in his pocket.
The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every
letter of the alphabet.
The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls froze completely
solid.
The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are
read
left to right or right to left (palindromes).
There are 293 ways to make change for a dollar.
There are more chickens than people in the world.
There are only four words in the English language which end in "dous":
tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous
There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels
in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."
There's no Betty Rubble in the Flintstones Chewables Vitamins.
Tigers have striped skin, not just striped fur.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one
row of the keyboard.
Winston Churchill was born in a ladies' room during a dance.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
...Now you know everything
Ooh! A Bowie cover band in Britain!
Diamondogz: Online. Unfortunately, they're not what one might call exceptionally talented, but they certainly get bonus points for rabid fandom, anyway.
Wednesday, January 28, 2004
I did in fact know three of these facts...
Forwarded to me by Lizzie. Do you suppose she's trying to say something? Who cares, it is most fun :)
"DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?"
"DO YOU THINK YOU KNOW EVERYTHING?"
Oblique Strategies of the day
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"Make a blank valuable by putting it in an exquisite frame."
"Infinitesimal gradations."
mythology
detritus
opinion
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"Make a blank valuable by putting it in an exquisite frame."
"Infinitesimal gradations."
mythology
detritus
opinion
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
In Quarantine
Holed up at home with sick little girls, television and warm blankets. One has flu, the other croup and everybody needs their mommy. Wish they felt better, but it's nice to be needed.
Monday, January 26, 2004
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Yew
Change and regeneration
You are in a time of deep transformation. Many changes are happening, and your life will be quite different afterward. These changes cannot be either rushed or stopped- so take the time you need for them, and permit yourself to feel all the related emotions, negative and positive. Difficult though things may be now, new opportunities and possibilities await.
Yew is the last of the original twenty Ogham trees. Just as birch stands for new beginnings, yew symbolizes death and regeneration; the old passing away to make room for the new. As the yew ages, some branches die but the whole survives- some for 2000 years! Its wood is tough, often used for bows. The challenge of the yew is to deal with the sorrow that a deep transformation can cause; even when the new is welcome, the old can be sorely missed.
Gorse
Generosity and persistence
Your perseverance has brought you through difficulties to a time of abundance. As you reap the benefits of your past work, remember to be generous in your turn, and share the blessings that come to you. You will also need to persist in your efforts; this is not an end to labor, but a beginning of the harvest.
Gorse or furze is the seventeenth Ogham tree. It thrives outside the forest, even in inhospitable lands. Although its mature growth is tough and spiky, its new shoots are a favorite food of sheep, and it blossoms with sweet yellow flowers throughout the year, to the benefit of the bees. For these reasons, gorse symbolizes both generosity and persistence.
mythology
detritus
opinion
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Yew
Change and regeneration
You are in a time of deep transformation. Many changes are happening, and your life will be quite different afterward. These changes cannot be either rushed or stopped- so take the time you need for them, and permit yourself to feel all the related emotions, negative and positive. Difficult though things may be now, new opportunities and possibilities await.
Yew is the last of the original twenty Ogham trees. Just as birch stands for new beginnings, yew symbolizes death and regeneration; the old passing away to make room for the new. As the yew ages, some branches die but the whole survives- some for 2000 years! Its wood is tough, often used for bows. The challenge of the yew is to deal with the sorrow that a deep transformation can cause; even when the new is welcome, the old can be sorely missed.
Gorse
Generosity and persistence
Your perseverance has brought you through difficulties to a time of abundance. As you reap the benefits of your past work, remember to be generous in your turn, and share the blessings that come to you. You will also need to persist in your efforts; this is not an end to labor, but a beginning of the harvest.
Gorse or furze is the seventeenth Ogham tree. It thrives outside the forest, even in inhospitable lands. Although its mature growth is tough and spiky, its new shoots are a favorite food of sheep, and it blossoms with sweet yellow flowers throughout the year, to the benefit of the bees. For these reasons, gorse symbolizes both generosity and persistence.
mythology
detritus
opinion
****************************************************************************************************************************************
The dream of the thief...
Dreamt I left my purse on a table at the street fair and went back to get it. When I returned, I found a man who looked like Jerry Garcia dressed as a Hell's Angel with an eyepatch stealing money from me. We started a conversation during which three times he tried to steal my cash and three times I stopped him. each time I caught him he would reply "sorry, I'm just doing my job." Somehow I ended up walking off with a hundred dollar bill from his wallet. He reminded me a bit of Odin/Mr Wednesday in Neil Gaiman's American Gods.
Sunday, January 25, 2004
Three Girls And A Microphone...
Attended the kick ass Grand Opening party for Silver Sea on Friday. Culminated in the Lizzieful one, the Lovely Miss Thea and myslef alone in the back room of the store with a microphone, a sound system and a number of Tori Amos tracks on CD, indulging our inner rock stars. The best parts sometimes happen after the party's over:)
Friday, January 23, 2004
Thursday, January 22, 2004
Gruff Marine Mammals
Dreamt of dolphins. Common dolphins, not bottle nosed. They could talk and were explaining why it is that they beach themselves sometimes and what we could do if we wanted to help, but I don't remember what the reason was. Said something about how they would love to submerge themselves for days at a time if only they could get enough air. How they wished they could just breathe underwater and cut out the middle part. Very jaded dolphins. Described themselves as "dolphins, porpoises, whatever the hell you guys are calling us these days..." Seemed most unimpressed with the collective intelligence of humankind. Sort of as though they were the French and we were the Ugly Americans.
(reprinted from exponential detritus for feeble minds.)
Dreamt of dolphins. Common dolphins, not bottle nosed. They could talk and were explaining why it is that they beach themselves sometimes and what we could do if we wanted to help, but I don't remember what the reason was. Said something about how they would love to submerge themselves for days at a time if only they could get enough air. How they wished they could just breathe underwater and cut out the middle part. Very jaded dolphins. Described themselves as "dolphins, porpoises, whatever the hell you guys are calling us these days..." Seemed most unimpressed with the collective intelligence of humankind. Sort of as though they were the French and we were the Ugly Americans.
(reprinted from exponential detritus for feeble minds.)
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
William Blake tarot reading of the day
Mystery, when reversed: An enigma that resists inner wisdom. Unexplained or mysterious energies at work. Issues of sexuality. Feeling yourself at the mercy of the divine trickster. Dark omens and portents.
Forgiveness: A trial-and-error blend of creative solutions to a problem or complex issue. Keeping things in proportion and proper balance by making needed adjustments. Managing your time and resources carefully. Listening for inner guidance and tuning in to spiritual advice. ****************************************************************************************************************************************
mythology
detritus
opinion
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Forgiveness: A trial-and-error blend of creative solutions to a problem or complex issue. Keeping things in proportion and proper balance by making needed adjustments. Managing your time and resources carefully. Listening for inner guidance and tuning in to spiritual advice. ****************************************************************************************************************************************
mythology
detritus
opinion
****************************************************************************************************************************************
Salome
Sometimes she's Salome
Or just another jezebel
in the endless parade
and she falls like the stock market
and you rise like unemployment
and sometimes she falls but no one catches
her
she falls because she's unsteady
never learned to walk before learning to fly
strange little bird that she is
when you let her out
of her gilded cage
she just goes looking for other nests
never learned to spread her wings
never learned a lot of things
still somehow she knows too much to be useful
Or just another jezebel
in the endless parade
and she falls like the stock market
and you rise like unemployment
and sometimes she falls but no one catches
her
she falls because she's unsteady
never learned to walk before learning to fly
strange little bird that she is
when you let her out
of her gilded cage
she just goes looking for other nests
never learned to spread her wings
never learned a lot of things
still somehow she knows too much to be useful
Another resource for all you lazy liberals
Working Assets - another great site for armchair activism. You can use their prewritten eamil letters to lodge your political concerns, or just repond to the issues as you are alerted to them. And if you have a landline phone (I don't anymore,) you can choose them as your long distance company and stick it to the corporate profiteers. Plus there's free Ben and Jerry's pints to be had. Been there, done that, licked the lid clean.
For your issues oriented enlightenment, may I offer Mother Jones, In These Times which has the occasional Kurt Vonnegut column as a bonus, and Utne Reader, which remains "the best of the alternative press." You could always buy these magazines, but don't kid me, you're all too busy for that. Be an empowered electorate! Or at least be a real "punk." Or whatever. Just trying to do my part for "the cause," whatever that is.
Lastly, an issue brought up by a friend of mine: Alaska Logging. Here's a letter you can cut and paste and legislative contact info.
There, don't you feel better now?
Reward yourself with some Mcsweeney's links and a trip to The Onion. Or if you're still waxing political, check this out...
For your issues oriented enlightenment, may I offer Mother Jones, In These Times which has the occasional Kurt Vonnegut column as a bonus, and Utne Reader, which remains "the best of the alternative press." You could always buy these magazines, but don't kid me, you're all too busy for that. Be an empowered electorate! Or at least be a real "punk." Or whatever. Just trying to do my part for "the cause," whatever that is.
Lastly, an issue brought up by a friend of mine: Alaska Logging. Here's a letter you can cut and paste and legislative contact info.
There, don't you feel better now?
Reward yourself with some Mcsweeney's links and a trip to The Onion. Or if you're still waxing political, check this out...
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
Tracklist for the newest mix CD...
...which I can only listen to at home, because my car cd player is missing its faceplate :(
1)"Delirious" - Luka Bloom
2)"Jagged" - The Old 97s
3)"Virginia Plain" - Roxy Music
4)"Remove This Doubt" - Elvis Costello
5)"Cecil Brown" - Hank Williams III
6)"Hold Her Down" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
7)Neil Gaiman on Tori Amos
8)"Tear In Your Hand" - Tori Amos
9)"River Euphrates" - The Pixies
10)"Something To Say" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
11)"Nothing To Fear (but fear itself)" - Oingo Boingo
12)"Zak and Sara" - Ben Folds
13)"(I'll love you)Till The End Of The World" - Nick Cave
14)"Big Love of a Tiny Fool" Peter Murphy
15)"Crucify" - Tori Amos
16)"Candy Says" - Velvet Underground
17)"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know About Her" - Elvis Costello w/ Tom Waits
18)"Clear Spot" - Pernice Brothers
19)"Lover's Lullaby" - Townes Van Zandt
1)"Delirious" - Luka Bloom
2)"Jagged" - The Old 97s
3)"Virginia Plain" - Roxy Music
4)"Remove This Doubt" - Elvis Costello
5)"Cecil Brown" - Hank Williams III
6)"Hold Her Down" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
7)Neil Gaiman on Tori Amos
8)"Tear In Your Hand" - Tori Amos
9)"River Euphrates" - The Pixies
10)"Something To Say" - Toad The Wet Sprocket
11)"Nothing To Fear (but fear itself)" - Oingo Boingo
12)"Zak and Sara" - Ben Folds
13)"(I'll love you)Till The End Of The World" - Nick Cave
14)"Big Love of a Tiny Fool" Peter Murphy
15)"Crucify" - Tori Amos
16)"Candy Says" - Velvet Underground
17)"I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know About Her" - Elvis Costello w/ Tom Waits
18)"Clear Spot" - Pernice Brothers
19)"Lover's Lullaby" - Townes Van Zandt
Gruff Marine Mammals
Dreamt of dolphins. Common dolphins, not bottle nosed. They could talk and were explaining why it is that they beach themselves sometimes and what we could do if we wanted to help, but I don't remember what the reason was. Said something about how they would love to submerge themselves for days at a time if only they could get enough air. How they wished they could just breathe underwater and cut out the middle part. Very jaded dolphins. Described themselves as "dolphins, porpoises, whatever the hell you guys are calling us these days..." Seemed most unimpressed with the collective intelligence of humankind. Sort of as though they were the French and we were the Ugly Americans.
By the way...
You guys do know how to use the comments, right? You just click on the word "comments" and then you can leave one if you want. If I don't get one soon I'm going to erase the comment feature out of desperation! It is indeed possible to post anonymously if you're just shy or something.
Also, fyi: "Saille" is the alias on my other blogger account. Another psuedonym of Corbid. Any other poster is probably someone other than I.
Also, fyi: "Saille" is the alias on my other blogger account. Another psuedonym of Corbid. Any other poster is probably someone other than I.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Werewolves
Myth of the Day: Werewolves
In popular folklore, a man who is transformed, or who transforms himself, into a wolf in nature and appearance under the influence of a full moon. The werewolf is only active at night and during that period, he devours infants and corpses. According to legend, werewolves can be killed by silver objects such as silver arrows and silver bullets. When a werewolf dies he is returned to his human form.
Origin
The word is a contraction of the old-Saxon word wer (which means "man") and wolf -- werwolf, manwolf. A Lycanthrope, a term often used to describe werewolves, however, is someone who suffers from a mental disease and only thinks he has changed into a wolf.
The concept of werewolves, or lycanthropes, is possibly based on the myth of Lycaon. He was the king of Arcadia, and in the time of the ancient Greeks notorious for his cruelty. He tried to buy the favor of Zeus by offering him the flesh of a young child. Zeus punished him for this crime and turned him into a wolf. The legends of werewolves have been told since the ancient Greeks and are known all over the world. In areas where the wolf is not so common, the belief in werewolves is replaced by folklore where men can change themselves in tigers, lions, bears and other fierce animals.
History
In the dark Middle Ages, the Church stigmatized the wolf as the personification of evil and a servant of Satan himself. The Church courts managed to put so much pressure on schizophrenics, epileptics and the mentally disabled, that they testified to be werewolves and admitted to receive their orders directly from Satan. After 1270 it was even considered heretical not to believe in the existence of werewolves.
The charge of being a werewolf disappeared from European courts around the 17th century, but only for the lack of evidence. The belief in werewolves, however, did not completely disappear. In Europe after 1600, it was generally believed that if there were no werewolves, then at least the wolf was a creature of evil. This resulted in an unjustified and negative image of the wolf; an image that most people still have today.
"Werewolf." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
[Accessed January 19, 2004].
In popular folklore, a man who is transformed, or who transforms himself, into a wolf in nature and appearance under the influence of a full moon. The werewolf is only active at night and during that period, he devours infants and corpses. According to legend, werewolves can be killed by silver objects such as silver arrows and silver bullets. When a werewolf dies he is returned to his human form.
Origin
The word is a contraction of the old-Saxon word wer (which means "man") and wolf -- werwolf, manwolf. A Lycanthrope, a term often used to describe werewolves, however, is someone who suffers from a mental disease and only thinks he has changed into a wolf.
The concept of werewolves, or lycanthropes, is possibly based on the myth of Lycaon. He was the king of Arcadia, and in the time of the ancient Greeks notorious for his cruelty. He tried to buy the favor of Zeus by offering him the flesh of a young child. Zeus punished him for this crime and turned him into a wolf. The legends of werewolves have been told since the ancient Greeks and are known all over the world. In areas where the wolf is not so common, the belief in werewolves is replaced by folklore where men can change themselves in tigers, lions, bears and other fierce animals.
History
In the dark Middle Ages, the Church stigmatized the wolf as the personification of evil and a servant of Satan himself. The Church courts managed to put so much pressure on schizophrenics, epileptics and the mentally disabled, that they testified to be werewolves and admitted to receive their orders directly from Satan. After 1270 it was even considered heretical not to believe in the existence of werewolves.
The charge of being a werewolf disappeared from European courts around the 17th century, but only for the lack of evidence. The belief in werewolves, however, did not completely disappear. In Europe after 1600, it was generally believed that if there were no werewolves, then at least the wolf was a creature of evil. This resulted in an unjustified and negative image of the wolf; an image that most people still have today.
"Werewolf." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.
[Accessed January 19, 2004].
Runes of the Day, MLK Day
Wunjo is the rune of Joy. Since joy is least frequently a solitary emotion, this rune often represents mutual or communal bliss. Wunjo is also seen as a rune of the gods and a rune of perfection, carrying with it the elation that blazes from the creation of a perfect work - perhaps this is the true joy of the gods, that they can create perfection. That aside, this rune does not focus on the struggle for perfection or on our inevitable imperfections, but rather on a job well done and the satisfaction that comes from it.
Dagez means daylight, and represents divine light. This rune generally refers to dawn (the initial sparking of energy) or to midday (the climax of energy). Both dawn and midday are symbolic of change, but unlike the changes in the perpetual circle of the year which are slow and subtle, the changes over a day are much faster and more dramatic. The breaking of a new day is symbolic of the rapid illumination of dismal circumstances, and is suggestive of Satori. Be careful - although this rune generally suggests a positive change, the symbology of a peaking point suggests that there must be a change downward as well. Fortunately for some, this rune is cyclic and irreversible, and so permanence is not promised - the only thing you can be sure of is an exciting ride.
mythology
detritus
opinion
Dagez means daylight, and represents divine light. This rune generally refers to dawn (the initial sparking of energy) or to midday (the climax of energy). Both dawn and midday are symbolic of change, but unlike the changes in the perpetual circle of the year which are slow and subtle, the changes over a day are much faster and more dramatic. The breaking of a new day is symbolic of the rapid illumination of dismal circumstances, and is suggestive of Satori. Be careful - although this rune generally suggests a positive change, the symbology of a peaking point suggests that there must be a change downward as well. Fortunately for some, this rune is cyclic and irreversible, and so permanence is not promised - the only thing you can be sure of is an exciting ride.
mythology
detritus
opinion
Happy Martin Luther King Day
Sixteen years ago today, Lizzie and I had quite the adventure. Story forthcoming at a later time. Impressionist summary: incense, runes, espresso, rain, lindor truffles, i ching, army jackets, youthful indignance, unmitigated gall, unequaled laughter. Maybe it needs no elaboration after all. But, god, do I feel old today.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Of Wolves and Men
There's an excellent entry in Neil Gaiman's blog about the more sinister implications of the Red Riding Hood story. I love this summation:
"The wolf in the story represents an awful lot of stuff -- the danger and truth of stories, for a start, and the way they change; he symbolises -- not predation, for some reason -- but transformation: the meeting in the wild wood that changes everything forever. Angela Carter's statement that "some men are hairy on the inside" comes to mind: as an image, in my head, it's the wolf's shadow that has ears and a tail, while the man in wolf form stands in his forest (and cities are forests too) and waits for the girl in the red cloak , picking flowers, to come along, or, hungrily, watches her leave..."
A beautifully gothic statement on the nature of faery, the deep abiding mythic truth lying beneath mundane existence.
Brings up an imagine of the Wolf as a Green Man or Horned God or Pan. Imagine, the Big Bad Wolf and The Fisher King one and the same.
"The wolf in the story represents an awful lot of stuff -- the danger and truth of stories, for a start, and the way they change; he symbolises -- not predation, for some reason -- but transformation: the meeting in the wild wood that changes everything forever. Angela Carter's statement that "some men are hairy on the inside" comes to mind: as an image, in my head, it's the wolf's shadow that has ears and a tail, while the man in wolf form stands in his forest (and cities are forests too) and waits for the girl in the red cloak , picking flowers, to come along, or, hungrily, watches her leave..."
A beautifully gothic statement on the nature of faery, the deep abiding mythic truth lying beneath mundane existence.
Brings up an imagine of the Wolf as a Green Man or Horned God or Pan. Imagine, the Big Bad Wolf and The Fisher King one and the same.
Friday, January 16, 2004
Word of the Day: Salubrious
(adjective)
[sah-LOO-bree-ahs]
(Pretty sure I've heard it before, but couldn't have defined it were I pressed to.)
1. favorable to or promoting health or well-being; 'salubrious air': "The campus was a salubrious wonderland for anyone that loved crew or trail running, but for the rest of us it was quiet and boring."
adverb form: salubriously
noun forms: salubriousness, salubrity
[sah-LOO-bree-ahs]
(Pretty sure I've heard it before, but couldn't have defined it were I pressed to.)
1. favorable to or promoting health or well-being; 'salubrious air': "The campus was a salubrious wonderland for anyone that loved crew or trail running, but for the rest of us it was quiet and boring."
adverb form: salubriously
noun forms: salubriousness, salubrity
Thursday, January 15, 2004
Check it out
I added a comments feature. Probably a dumb idea for a blog of such limited readership. Points out how few people are in my audience, or whatever. Like adding a hit counter,it can point out one's loserdom in terms of web presence I suppose. Still, commenting is the new coolness and I am all about being part of the new coolness. Or something. Maybe I'll take it down after a few days of no response.
Whatever.
Whatever.
Tam Lin and Fair Janet
Myth of the Day:
Tam Lin
The woods of Carterhaugh are guarded by Tam Lin, a man who demands payment of all maidens who pass through, in the form of a belonging or their virginity. A maiden named Janet travels to Carterhaugh and picks a rose, causing Tam Lin to appear. He questions her presence, to which she relies that Carterhaugh is rightfully hers. She then travels to her fathers house where she exhibits the early signs of pregnancy, much to the concern of the household. She states that her lover is elven, and then returns to Carterhaugh, once again encountering Tam Lin. He reveals he is not elven, but a mortal captured by the queen of Faeries, and that he may be sacrificied to hell as part of the faerie tithe. He then details how she can save him to be her mate, if she will undergo a trial on Halloween night. She must pull him from his horse as the faeries process through the woods, and hold onto him as he is transformed into various beasts, then plunge him into a well when he turns into a brand of fire. When he regains his own naked shape she must cover him with her green mantle and he will be free. She does all of this, much to the anger of the watching Queen of faeries.
The Ballad of Tam Lin:
'O I forbid you, maidens a',
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam Lin is there.
For even about that knight's middle
O' siller bells are nine;
And nae maid comes to Carterhaugh
And a maid returns again.'
Fair Janet sat in her bonny bower,
Sewing her silken seam,
And wish'd to be in Carterhaugh
Amang the leaves sae green.
She's lat her seam fa' to her feet,
The needle to her tae,
And she's awa' to Carterhaugh
As fast as she could gae.
And she has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee;
And she has braided her yellow hair
A little abune her bree;
And she has gaen for Carterbaugh
As fast as she can hie.
She hadna pu'd a rose, a rose,
A rose but barely ane,
When up and started young Tam Lin;
Says, ' Ladye, let alane.
What gars ye pu' the rose, Janet ?
What gars ye break the tree ?
What gars ye come to Carterhaugh
Without the leave o' me?'
Weel may I pu' the rose,' she says,
'And ask no leave at thee;
For Carterhaugh it is my ain,
My daddy gave it me.'
He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
He's led her to the fairy ground
At her he askd nae leave.
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she is to her father's ha'
As fast as she can hie.
But when she came to her father's ha',
She look'd sae wan and pale,
They thought the lady had gotten a fright,
Or with sickness she did ail.
Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the ba',
And out then came fair Janet
Ance the flower amang them a'
Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the chess,
And out then came fair Janet
As green as onie glass.
Out then spak' an au d grey knight
'Lay owre the Castle wa',
And says, ' Alas, fair Janet!
For thee we'll be blamed a'
'Hauld your tongue, ye auld-faced knight,
Some ill death may ye die!
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I'll father nanre on thee.
0 if my love were an earthly knight,
As he is an elfin gay,
I wadna gie my ain true-love
For nae laird that ye hae.
'The steed that my true-love rides on
Is fleeter nor the wind;
Wi` siller he is shod before,
Wi' buming gold behind'
Out then spak' her brither dear-
He meant to do her harm:
There grows an herb in Carterbaugh
Will twine you an' the bairn.'
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she's awa' to Carterhaugh
As fast as she can hie.
She hadna pu'd a leaf, a leaf,
A leaf but only twae,
When up and started young Tam Lin,
Says, I Ladye, thou's pu' nae mae.
'How dar' ye pu' a leaf he says,
' How dar' ye break the tree,
How dar' ye scathe my babe,' he says,
That's between you and me?'
0 tell me, tell me, Tam,' she says,
' For His sake that died on tree,
If ye were ever in holy chapel
Or sain'd in Christentie?
The truth I'll tell to thee, Janet,
Ae word I winna lee;
A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
As well as they did thee.
Roxburgh he was my grandfather,
Took me with him to bide;
And ance it fell upon a day,
As hunting I did ride,
'There came a wind out o' the north,
A sharp wind an' a snell,
A dead sleep it came over me
And frae my horse I fell;
And the Queen o' Fairies she took me
In yon green hill to dwell.
And pleasant is the fairy land
For those that in it dwell,
But ay at end of seven years
They pay a teind to hell;
I am sae fair and fu' o' flesh
I'm fear'd 'twill be mysell.
'But the night is Halloween, Janet,
The morn is Hallowday ;
Then win me, win me, an ye will,
For weel I wat ye may.
'The night it is gude Hallowe'en,
The fairy folk do ride,
And they that wad their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they maun bide.'
But how should I you ken, Tam Lin,
How should I borrow you,
Amang a pack of uncouth knights
The like I never saw
You'll do you down to Miles Cross
Between twel' hours and ane,
And fill your hands o' the holy water
And cast your compass roun'.
'The first company that passes by,
Say na, and let them gae;
The neist company that passes by,
Say na, and do right sae;
The third company that passes by,
Then I'll be ane o' thae.
0 first let pass the black, ladye,
And syne let pass the brown;
But quickly run to the milk-white steed,
Pu' ye his rider down.
For some ride on the black, ladye,
And some ride on the brown;
But I ride on a milk-white steed,
A gowd star en my crown.
Because I was an earthly knight
<
br />They gie me that renown.
My right hand will be gloved, ladye,
My left hand wiII be bare,
And thae's the tokens I gie thee:
Nae doubt I will be there.
'Ye'll tak' my horse then by the head
And let the bridle fa';
The Queen o' Elfin she'll cry out
"True Tam Lin he's awa'!"
They'll turn me in your arms, ladye,
An aske but and a snake;
But hauld me fast, let me na gae,
To be your warldis make.
'They'll turn me in your arms, ladye,
But and a deer so wild ;
But hauld me fast, let me na gae,
The father o' your child.
They'll shape me in your arms, ladye,
A hot iron at the fire ;
But hauld me fast, let me na go,
To be your heart's desire.
'They'll shape me last in your arms, Janet,
A mother-naked man;
Cast your green mantle over me,
And sae will I be won.'
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune the knee;
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she is on to Miles Cross
As fast as she can hie.
About the dead hour o' the night
She heard the bridles ring;
And Janet was as glad at that
As any earthly thing.
And first gaed by the black, black steed,
And syne gaed by the brown;
But fast she gript the milk-white steed
And pu'd the rider down.
She's pu'd him frae the milk-white steed,
An' loot the bridle fa'
And up there rase an eldritch cry,
'True Tam Lin he's awa'!'
They shaped him in her arms twa
An aske but and a snake;
But aye she grips and hau'ds hint fast
To be her warldis make.
They shaped him in her arms twa
But and a deer sae wild;
But aye she grips and hau'ds him fast,
The father o' her child.
They shaped him in her arms twa
A hot iron at the fire;
But aye she grips and hau'ds him fast
To be her heart's desire.
They shaped him in her arms at last
A mother-naked man;
She cast her mantle over him,
And sae her love she wan.
Up then spak' the Queen o' Fairies,
Out o' a bush o' broom,
She that has borrow'd young Tam Lin
Has gotten a stately groom!
Out then spak' the Queen o' Fairies,
And an angry woman was she,
She's ta'en awa' the bonniest knight
In a' my companie!
But what I ken this night, Tam Lin,
Gin I had kerit yestreen,
I wad ta'en out thy heart o' flesh,
And put in a heart o' stane.
'And adieu, Tam Lin! But gin I had kent
A ladye wad borrow'd thee,
I wad ta'en out thy twa grey e'en
Put in twa e'en o' tree.
And had I the wit yestreen, yestreen,
That I have coft this day,
I'd paid my teind seven times to hell
Ere you had been won away!
Tam Lin
The woods of Carterhaugh are guarded by Tam Lin, a man who demands payment of all maidens who pass through, in the form of a belonging or their virginity. A maiden named Janet travels to Carterhaugh and picks a rose, causing Tam Lin to appear. He questions her presence, to which she relies that Carterhaugh is rightfully hers. She then travels to her fathers house where she exhibits the early signs of pregnancy, much to the concern of the household. She states that her lover is elven, and then returns to Carterhaugh, once again encountering Tam Lin. He reveals he is not elven, but a mortal captured by the queen of Faeries, and that he may be sacrificied to hell as part of the faerie tithe. He then details how she can save him to be her mate, if she will undergo a trial on Halloween night. She must pull him from his horse as the faeries process through the woods, and hold onto him as he is transformed into various beasts, then plunge him into a well when he turns into a brand of fire. When he regains his own naked shape she must cover him with her green mantle and he will be free. She does all of this, much to the anger of the watching Queen of faeries.
The Ballad of Tam Lin:
'O I forbid you, maidens a',
That wear gowd on your hair,
To come or gae by Carterhaugh,
For young Tam Lin is there.
For even about that knight's middle
O' siller bells are nine;
And nae maid comes to Carterhaugh
And a maid returns again.'
Fair Janet sat in her bonny bower,
Sewing her silken seam,
And wish'd to be in Carterhaugh
Amang the leaves sae green.
She's lat her seam fa' to her feet,
The needle to her tae,
And she's awa' to Carterhaugh
As fast as she could gae.
And she has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee;
And she has braided her yellow hair
A little abune her bree;
And she has gaen for Carterbaugh
As fast as she can hie.
She hadna pu'd a rose, a rose,
A rose but barely ane,
When up and started young Tam Lin;
Says, ' Ladye, let alane.
What gars ye pu' the rose, Janet ?
What gars ye break the tree ?
What gars ye come to Carterhaugh
Without the leave o' me?'
Weel may I pu' the rose,' she says,
'And ask no leave at thee;
For Carterhaugh it is my ain,
My daddy gave it me.'
He's ta'en her by the milk-white hand,
And by the grass-green sleeve,
He's led her to the fairy ground
At her he askd nae leave.
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she is to her father's ha'
As fast as she can hie.
But when she came to her father's ha',
She look'd sae wan and pale,
They thought the lady had gotten a fright,
Or with sickness she did ail.
Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the ba',
And out then came fair Janet
Ance the flower amang them a'
Four and twenty ladies fair
Were playing at the chess,
And out then came fair Janet
As green as onie glass.
Out then spak' an au d grey knight
'Lay owre the Castle wa',
And says, ' Alas, fair Janet!
For thee we'll be blamed a'
'Hauld your tongue, ye auld-faced knight,
Some ill death may ye die!
Father my bairn on whom I will,
I'll father nanre on thee.
0 if my love were an earthly knight,
As he is an elfin gay,
I wadna gie my ain true-love
For nae laird that ye hae.
'The steed that my true-love rides on
Is fleeter nor the wind;
Wi` siller he is shod before,
Wi' buming gold behind'
Out then spak' her brither dear-
He meant to do her harm:
There grows an herb in Carterbaugh
Will twine you an' the bairn.'
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune her knee,
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she's awa' to Carterhaugh
As fast as she can hie.
She hadna pu'd a leaf, a leaf,
A leaf but only twae,
When up and started young Tam Lin,
Says, I Ladye, thou's pu' nae mae.
'How dar' ye pu' a leaf he says,
' How dar' ye break the tree,
How dar' ye scathe my babe,' he says,
That's between you and me?'
0 tell me, tell me, Tam,' she says,
' For His sake that died on tree,
If ye were ever in holy chapel
Or sain'd in Christentie?
The truth I'll tell to thee, Janet,
Ae word I winna lee;
A knight me got, and a lady me bore,
As well as they did thee.
Roxburgh he was my grandfather,
Took me with him to bide;
And ance it fell upon a day,
As hunting I did ride,
'There came a wind out o' the north,
A sharp wind an' a snell,
A dead sleep it came over me
And frae my horse I fell;
And the Queen o' Fairies she took me
In yon green hill to dwell.
And pleasant is the fairy land
For those that in it dwell,
But ay at end of seven years
They pay a teind to hell;
I am sae fair and fu' o' flesh
I'm fear'd 'twill be mysell.
'But the night is Halloween, Janet,
The morn is Hallowday ;
Then win me, win me, an ye will,
For weel I wat ye may.
'The night it is gude Hallowe'en,
The fairy folk do ride,
And they that wad their true-love win,
At Miles Cross they maun bide.'
But how should I you ken, Tam Lin,
How should I borrow you,
Amang a pack of uncouth knights
The like I never saw
You'll do you down to Miles Cross
Between twel' hours and ane,
And fill your hands o' the holy water
And cast your compass roun'.
'The first company that passes by,
Say na, and let them gae;
The neist company that passes by,
Say na, and do right sae;
The third company that passes by,
Then I'll be ane o' thae.
0 first let pass the black, ladye,
And syne let pass the brown;
But quickly run to the milk-white steed,
Pu' ye his rider down.
For some ride on the black, ladye,
And some ride on the brown;
But I ride on a milk-white steed,
A gowd star en my crown.
Because I was an earthly knight
<
br />They gie me that renown.
My right hand will be gloved, ladye,
My left hand wiII be bare,
And thae's the tokens I gie thee:
Nae doubt I will be there.
'Ye'll tak' my horse then by the head
And let the bridle fa';
The Queen o' Elfin she'll cry out
"True Tam Lin he's awa'!"
They'll turn me in your arms, ladye,
An aske but and a snake;
But hauld me fast, let me na gae,
To be your warldis make.
'They'll turn me in your arms, ladye,
But and a deer so wild ;
But hauld me fast, let me na gae,
The father o' your child.
They'll shape me in your arms, ladye,
A hot iron at the fire ;
But hauld me fast, let me na go,
To be your heart's desire.
'They'll shape me last in your arms, Janet,
A mother-naked man;
Cast your green mantle over me,
And sae will I be won.'
Janet has kilted her green kirtle
A little abune the knee;
And she has snooded her yellow hair
A little abune her bree,
And she is on to Miles Cross
As fast as she can hie.
About the dead hour o' the night
She heard the bridles ring;
And Janet was as glad at that
As any earthly thing.
And first gaed by the black, black steed,
And syne gaed by the brown;
But fast she gript the milk-white steed
And pu'd the rider down.
She's pu'd him frae the milk-white steed,
An' loot the bridle fa'
And up there rase an eldritch cry,
'True Tam Lin he's awa'!'
They shaped him in her arms twa
An aske but and a snake;
But aye she grips and hau'ds hint fast
To be her warldis make.
They shaped him in her arms twa
But and a deer sae wild;
But aye she grips and hau'ds him fast,
The father o' her child.
They shaped him in her arms twa
A hot iron at the fire;
But aye she grips and hau'ds him fast
To be her heart's desire.
They shaped him in her arms at last
A mother-naked man;
She cast her mantle over him,
And sae her love she wan.
Up then spak' the Queen o' Fairies,
Out o' a bush o' broom,
She that has borrow'd young Tam Lin
Has gotten a stately groom!
Out then spak' the Queen o' Fairies,
And an angry woman was she,
She's ta'en awa' the bonniest knight
In a' my companie!
But what I ken this night, Tam Lin,
Gin I had kerit yestreen,
I wad ta'en out thy heart o' flesh,
And put in a heart o' stane.
'And adieu, Tam Lin! But gin I had kent
A ladye wad borrow'd thee,
I wad ta'en out thy twa grey e'en
Put in twa e'en o' tree.
And had I the wit yestreen, yestreen,
That I have coft this day,
I'd paid my teind seven times to hell
Ere you had been won away!
Full Tarot Reading: cross and triangle
The Cross and Triangle spread is a powerful means of understanding complex situations, developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
The first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. Eight of Cups (Indolence): Discontinuance of effort. Disappointment. Abandonment of previous plans. Shyness. Modesty. Abandoned success.
The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. Queen of Swords: Quick-witted. Intensely perceptive. A subtle person. Possibly, a widow or a woman of sadness. Mourning. Privation. Absence. Loneliness. Separation. One who has savored great happiness but who presently knows the anxiety of misfortune and reversal.
The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. Five of Cups (Disappointment): Partial loss. Regret. Friendship without real meaning. Marriage without real love. Inheritance. Incomplete union or partnership.
The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. King of Cups: Responsibility and creativity. Learned person. Professional. Businessman. Lawyer. Religious person. Scientist. A considerate person, kind and reliable. Liberal manner. Artist. Interest in the arts and sciences. Generosity.
The fifth card, placed to the left of the significator represents Earth. It describes your physical presence, position in life, and the influence of the material world. Strength. Courage. Conviction. Energy. Defiance. Action. Confidence. Zeal. Matter over mind or mind over matter.
At this point the cross is complete and the triangle is formed.
The sixth card, placed on the bottom left of the triangle represents one of two opposing forces. King of Swords: An active and determined person. Experienced. Authoritative. Controlled. Commanding. A professional man. Highly analytical person. Justness. Force. Superiority. A person having many ideas, thoughts and designs.
The seventh card, placed on the bottom right of the triangle represents the force that opposes the bottom left card. These forces may be external, but they are frequently one's own inner archetypes in conflict. Six of Clubs (Victory): Conquest. Triumph. Good news. Advancement. Expectation. Desires realized as a result of efforts.
The eighth card, the reconciler, is placed below the cross in the third vertex of the triangle. This is the force that will resolve the conflict between the bottom left and bottom right cards. By meditating on this force and bringing more of it into your life, you can bring the matter at hand to a swifter conclusion than would naturally occur. Six of Coins (Success): Generosity. Philanthropy. Charity. Kindness. Gratification. Gifts. Material gain.
The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. The Falling Tower: Complete and sudden change. Breakdown of old beliefs. Abandonment of past relationships. Severing of a friendship. Changing one's opinion. Unexpected events. Bankruptcy. Downfall. Loss of stability. Loss of security.
detritus
opinion
The first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. Eight of Cups (Indolence): Discontinuance of effort. Disappointment. Abandonment of previous plans. Shyness. Modesty. Abandoned success.
The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. Queen of Swords: Quick-witted. Intensely perceptive. A subtle person. Possibly, a widow or a woman of sadness. Mourning. Privation. Absence. Loneliness. Separation. One who has savored great happiness but who presently knows the anxiety of misfortune and reversal.
The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. Five of Cups (Disappointment): Partial loss. Regret. Friendship without real meaning. Marriage without real love. Inheritance. Incomplete union or partnership.
The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. King of Cups: Responsibility and creativity. Learned person. Professional. Businessman. Lawyer. Religious person. Scientist. A considerate person, kind and reliable. Liberal manner. Artist. Interest in the arts and sciences. Generosity.
The fifth card, placed to the left of the significator represents Earth. It describes your physical presence, position in life, and the influence of the material world. Strength. Courage. Conviction. Energy. Defiance. Action. Confidence. Zeal. Matter over mind or mind over matter.
At this point the cross is complete and the triangle is formed.
The sixth card, placed on the bottom left of the triangle represents one of two opposing forces. King of Swords: An active and determined person. Experienced. Authoritative. Controlled. Commanding. A professional man. Highly analytical person. Justness. Force. Superiority. A person having many ideas, thoughts and designs.
The seventh card, placed on the bottom right of the triangle represents the force that opposes the bottom left card. These forces may be external, but they are frequently one's own inner archetypes in conflict. Six of Clubs (Victory): Conquest. Triumph. Good news. Advancement. Expectation. Desires realized as a result of efforts.
The eighth card, the reconciler, is placed below the cross in the third vertex of the triangle. This is the force that will resolve the conflict between the bottom left and bottom right cards. By meditating on this force and bringing more of it into your life, you can bring the matter at hand to a swifter conclusion than would naturally occur. Six of Coins (Success): Generosity. Philanthropy. Charity. Kindness. Gratification. Gifts. Material gain.
The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. The Falling Tower: Complete and sudden change. Breakdown of old beliefs. Abandonment of past relationships. Severing of a friendship. Changing one's opinion. Unexpected events. Bankruptcy. Downfall. Loss of stability. Loss of security.
detritus
opinion
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
Productivity
Yesterday, could get nothing done to save my life. Today I started off with swiftness and purpose. Had to go out due to a sippy cup replacement emergency, and ended up breakfasting at the bookstore with Sarah, while she practiced her newly acquired counting skills (although she's more interested in the sound pattern than learning the actual numbers.) Had a lovely cafe au lait and bought the Death :At Death's Door manga comic and a new Charles De Lint short story collection, Tapping The Dream Tree. Have some minor household chores to attend to and will finally be able to devote my attention to the "Music For A Faery Realm" compilation mix I've been promising Lizzie (sorry,Lizzie!) for almost a week now. Consider this to be a mood swing for the better, I guess. Hope everyone else is in similarly good spirits. Caffeine makes the world go round, it's a wonder that I lived so long without it.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
william blake tarot reading of the day
Innocence: Something fresh and new on the horizon. A tangible risk needs to be faced. Trusting your instincts. A sense of adventure at hand. Confronting unknown factors. Dealing with folly or foolishness. Expect the unexpected.
Man of Science: Being submerged in thought. A time of intense mental focus. Perfectionism. Personal detachment and self-possession. Working on your own, or in isolation. In the creative process: Scrutinize and test every aspect of your work so as to refine and perfect it.
mythology
detritus
opinion
Man of Science: Being submerged in thought. A time of intense mental focus. Perfectionism. Personal detachment and self-possession. Working on your own, or in isolation. In the creative process: Scrutinize and test every aspect of your work so as to refine and perfect it.
mythology
detritus
opinion
take back the whip
lash your own back if you want
find another jailor
it won't be me
words are words
just throw them away
just throw them away
slap on a bandaid and don't let him win
guess god finally finished with him
god's not done with you
all your heavens and all your hells
have no room for petulant angels
sing all your hymns on high
until your throat bleeds
I'll be here
on earth
With rain and candles
moonlight and dirt
worshipping the mother of the world
until there are no tommorrows to dread
lash your own back if you want
find another jailor
it won't be me
words are words
just throw them away
just throw them away
slap on a bandaid and don't let him win
guess god finally finished with him
god's not done with you
all your heavens and all your hells
have no room for petulant angels
sing all your hymns on high
until your throat bleeds
I'll be here
on earth
With rain and candles
moonlight and dirt
worshipping the mother of the world
until there are no tommorrows to dread
Aint No Mountain High Enough...
Sometimes the answer to "how high can you climb?" Sometimes the answer to "why don't you jump?"
Sunday, January 11, 2004
A Treasure Trove of Literary Geekdom
Just discovered The Literary Devices/Linguistic Phenomena Page, and am writhing with nerdish glee. Shall balance that with literary pilgrimages to The Official Dylan Thomas Site and the William Butler Yeats Quote Page.
I'm a little word pixie today. Making music mixes for a faery realm...
I'm a little word pixie today. Making music mixes for a faery realm...
Saturday, January 10, 2004
Notes on discontent
"I am sure that a number of mystics would have benefited from a regimen of antidepressants, however, we would all be the poorer."
- Louise Erdrich
Has occurred to me (as if I were the only one ever to have thought this) that humans need a certain amount of discontent in order to accomplish anything of worth. The trick is to balance it out. Have enough discontent to drive and motivate you and enough awareness of things of joy and beauty to placate yourself in the meantime. The ultimate human juggling act. Easy advice, hard to live by. I guess the key is to always have books and art and music within arm's reach as well as people who can make you laugh or smile or tell you when you're making an ass of yourself.
- Louise Erdrich
Has occurred to me (as if I were the only one ever to have thought this) that humans need a certain amount of discontent in order to accomplish anything of worth. The trick is to balance it out. Have enough discontent to drive and motivate you and enough awareness of things of joy and beauty to placate yourself in the meantime. The ultimate human juggling act. Easy advice, hard to live by. I guess the key is to always have books and art and music within arm's reach as well as people who can make you laugh or smile or tell you when you're making an ass of yourself.
Friday, January 09, 2004
Gonzo Archaeology
Once again I steal from Neil:
This sort of thing just makes you proud to be Scottish, I guess. Testament to our mental superiority and scientific rigor as a people. Not.
This sort of thing just makes you proud to be Scottish, I guess. Testament to our mental superiority and scientific rigor as a people. Not.
Thursday, January 08, 2004
Connectivity Weirdness
Keep getting knocked offline. WTF? Doesn't Cox know I'm trying to develop my pathetic little website? Don't they want me to suceed? Alas, I am thwarted. Can't play with FTP transfers today. In case you're wondering, I wrote this in Notepad whilst offline and if you're reading it I posted it later. Which means I've at least temporarily resumed a connection. Aarrgghhh! Petty ISP tyrants!
New Word Learned of the day
(Courtesy Neil Gaiman's blog)
"Zeugma"
Zeugma is a word for when you make a verb do several functions at the same time (eg. "I left in a foul mood and a black taxi").
Ooh, I like that. Both a word I didn't know and a technique I've been failing to employ. As in "Neil Gaiman has created a posting topic and a monster." Or something to that effect.
"Zeugma"
Zeugma is a word for when you make a verb do several functions at the same time (eg. "I left in a foul mood and a black taxi").
Ooh, I like that. Both a word I didn't know and a technique I've been failing to employ. As in "Neil Gaiman has created a posting topic and a monster." Or something to that effect.
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Pardon My sporadicness...
Been playing with my new website and then was briefly knocked off line. Content shall be forthcoming in the wake of style. Crafted a page or two of raw html of which I'm quite proud, simplistic though it may be. Just wrote it up on Notepad and ftp'd it without using any editing programs or anyhting. Made me feel like a badass, dumb as that may be.
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
Iona ~ Sacred Isle and home to my ancestors
Myth of the Day:
IONA - Island of the Druids
by Maia Christianne
Iona is one of several small islands off the western coast of Scotland. Historically, it is known as a ?sacred isle' because of its pagan and then Christian spiritual activity through the ages. With the arrival of St. Columba on its shores in 563 AD, Iona became a Christian sanctuary. It's Gaelic name, Innis-nam Druidbneach means ?Island of the Druids'. Forty-eight Scottish kings including Mac Beth and the Lords of the Isles were buried there.
The akashic records tell us that Iona was inhabited by a mystic community after the final cataclysms of Atlantis. The remnant Atlanteans had known of Iona, which they called Aberuk, or ?distant place of the heart', from the canticles of the Hyperboreans, who came to Atlantis from the North polar region long before that Atlantic continent's demise. The Hyperboreans, who were descendants of a Sirian star race, called the place Iuma, meaning ?bright land'. It was then part of the continent of Scotland before the event which sent Atlantis to the depths. By the time the post-Atlantean colony arrived, Iona was not much larger than it is today.
Iona is one of the group of islands known as the Inner Hebrides. Most of the Hebridean islands were at one time visited and inhabited by Hyperboreans, and then after Atlantis' demise, by the Hyperborean-Atlantean mixed race, the Rutans. The greatest priests and priestesses of Atlantis were the Rutans. As has been previously written upon in Temple Doors, the Isle of Ruta ascended into the inner-planes during the time implosion that destroyed the last portion of Atlantis. However not all Rutans were on the Isle at the time. Consequently, some found their way into what is now the Middle East and other regions of the world. One group consisting of seven males, three females and one child, established the Atlantean colony on Iona. They built a small library for sacred works dating back to Lemurian times. Around the library which they called their ?heart seed', they built a strong, almost fortress like Temple. In the eras that followed, this isle continued to be inhabited by those with spiritual preservation and education in mind.
For several centuries before and after Christ's birth, Iona was the center for a select gathering of priestesses who had been established there by a pre-Merlin Mage. He had been given revelations upon which were based the tenets and purpose of this priestess stronghold. The entire study of these revelations and the established Temple complex of the priestesses on Iona (who called themselves the Priestesses of Ank, or ?sacred well of life'), is not within the scope of this article. However, Tehuti (who's soul was one of the five layered souls that composed the identity of Merlin) states that the Ionian priestesses were the basis for the Celtic legends concerning sanctuaries of ?Lady of the Lake' type women who regenerated the male psyche and often his physical form as well.
Certainly Iona is alive with the mists of its past. In ?Magical and Mystic Sites' by Elizabeth Pepper and John Wilcock, they write of Iona:
"The colors of sea and sky are pristine, the beaches are of white sand, and great patches of wild daffodils turn the island into a blaze of yellow each spring. At both ends of the island the lovely low hills with their score of secret glens and hollows must hide a thousand memories of age old ceremonials or gatherings under the moon. At dusk, even today, they seem to be haunted by spirits of long ago. The turf is chopped short everywhere by the ranging sheep, but the ground has probably never been uncovered to reveal the ancient treasures that must lie beneath.
"Iona feels old: the air, the ground, the contours of the land seem saturated with ancient memories. Possibly because of its remoteness (no cars are allowed on the island), the island seems to shun contemporary life. The air is fresh and energizing but has the sweet aroma of hidden secrets; the ground is often rutted as though hundreds of thousands of feet have traversed the same routes."
When the Ionian priestesses feared invasion by lesser magical elements, they brought into their sacred stronghold certain Druids who were aligned to their spiritual principles. The Druids remained on Iona after the priestess-hood had departed.
There were many different sects of Druids, some of which were quite bloodthirsty in nature, and others, like the Ionian Druids, who refused the tenets of sacrifice, wishing only to worship nature in her purest and undefiled form. These ?purists' were descended from the original Atlantean Dorrids, who were known in Atlantis as ?Priests and Priestesses of the Earth'. After the usurpation of the Melchizedekean Temples in Atlantis, some of the undefiled priests and priestesses fled to the sanctuaries of the Dorrids and were thus absorbed into their fold.
In ?Magical and Mystical Sites' we read:
"....the Anglo-American mystic Col. James Churchward, in The Lost Continent of Mu, speculated that the original Druids were descended from Egyptian priests who landed in Ireland and the west of England, bringing with them all their ancient beliefs in sun worship."
Certainly Egyptian beliefs were to be found within the Druid practice, but Egypt was originally a colony of Atlantis, the true source of the Druids. Iona's ancient body called the Atlanteans to its shore as if it sang a siren song to those who had suffered the loss of their sacred space. Iona's jeweled beaches bespoke the same olden rhyme of the Ancient Ones in the soft drumming of its surf and the circling cries of the gulls.
From the book ?Iona', by John L. Patterson, we read:
"The rocks of Iona are little older than the ocean from which they rise. The Reverend Edward Craig Trenholme in The Story of Iona (1909) has written: ?When our planet from a glowing mass of combustion like the sun, shriveled into a globe with a solid crust and the first oceans condensed in the hollows of its hot surface - then it was that the Archaean rocks, of which Iona and the Outer Hebrides consist, were formed on the sea bottom. They contain no fossils, for, as far as is known, no living creatures as yet existed in the desolate waste of waters or on the primeval land. They are hard, rugged and twisted, and in Iona as elsewhere marble had been developed by the vast heat and pressure they have undergone.'
"On Iona the rocks are always with you for they are only partly hidden by a thin veneer of turf and heather and you can sense their antiquity when your path is impeded by the presence of their implacable solidity. To fully appreciate the age of this part of the Earth's surface you must climb to the summit of Dun I and survey the surrounding terrain. That early settlers were prepared to live in this remote and primeval part of the world appears perverse but there is some evidence that ancient rocks possessed magical qualities for the old religions; and Iona, for this reason, may have been chosen as a centre by the Druids for their rituals. It is thought that Dun I may possibly have been used for their primitive rites and it is not difficult to imagine, when standing on such a commanding site, that it would have appeared to them to have been the centre of the world."
On Iona, the Priestesses of Ank welcomed individuals into their sanctuary for periods of instruction and often healing. Those brought to the island were selected through a process which included scrying. Scrying is the magical art of viewing events at a distance in time and space through a reflective element such as water, crystal or a polished surface. An astral initiation is giving spiritual initiation into inner-plane learning while in out-of-body experience. Many who came to Iona came not
in the physical body. The Ank Priestess-hood opened several layers of the etheric over this isle, some of which remains loosely formed to this day. Thus, there are many astral presences still moving upon the surface of the Island of the Druids.
Iona shares her sacred space of ocean with several other islands, one of which is the tiny Staffa. Uninhabited today, it harbors two enormous caves, whose current names are Mackinnon's and Fingal's. In the time of the Ank priestesses of Iona, these caves were magical enclaves for their oracle use.
In this age, Iona calls to many new seekers of Light who wander about her wind tossed hills, alert to any sign of communion with the past. Yet deep in the mother's bosom a child is sleeping, a king-child who will one day take up the gleaming sword of truth.
IONA - Island of the Druids
by Maia Christianne
Iona is one of several small islands off the western coast of Scotland. Historically, it is known as a ?sacred isle' because of its pagan and then Christian spiritual activity through the ages. With the arrival of St. Columba on its shores in 563 AD, Iona became a Christian sanctuary. It's Gaelic name, Innis-nam Druidbneach means ?Island of the Druids'. Forty-eight Scottish kings including Mac Beth and the Lords of the Isles were buried there.
The akashic records tell us that Iona was inhabited by a mystic community after the final cataclysms of Atlantis. The remnant Atlanteans had known of Iona, which they called Aberuk, or ?distant place of the heart', from the canticles of the Hyperboreans, who came to Atlantis from the North polar region long before that Atlantic continent's demise. The Hyperboreans, who were descendants of a Sirian star race, called the place Iuma, meaning ?bright land'. It was then part of the continent of Scotland before the event which sent Atlantis to the depths. By the time the post-Atlantean colony arrived, Iona was not much larger than it is today.
Iona is one of the group of islands known as the Inner Hebrides. Most of the Hebridean islands were at one time visited and inhabited by Hyperboreans, and then after Atlantis' demise, by the Hyperborean-Atlantean mixed race, the Rutans. The greatest priests and priestesses of Atlantis were the Rutans. As has been previously written upon in Temple Doors, the Isle of Ruta ascended into the inner-planes during the time implosion that destroyed the last portion of Atlantis. However not all Rutans were on the Isle at the time. Consequently, some found their way into what is now the Middle East and other regions of the world. One group consisting of seven males, three females and one child, established the Atlantean colony on Iona. They built a small library for sacred works dating back to Lemurian times. Around the library which they called their ?heart seed', they built a strong, almost fortress like Temple. In the eras that followed, this isle continued to be inhabited by those with spiritual preservation and education in mind.
For several centuries before and after Christ's birth, Iona was the center for a select gathering of priestesses who had been established there by a pre-Merlin Mage. He had been given revelations upon which were based the tenets and purpose of this priestess stronghold. The entire study of these revelations and the established Temple complex of the priestesses on Iona (who called themselves the Priestesses of Ank, or ?sacred well of life'), is not within the scope of this article. However, Tehuti (who's soul was one of the five layered souls that composed the identity of Merlin) states that the Ionian priestesses were the basis for the Celtic legends concerning sanctuaries of ?Lady of the Lake' type women who regenerated the male psyche and often his physical form as well.
Certainly Iona is alive with the mists of its past. In ?Magical and Mystic Sites' by Elizabeth Pepper and John Wilcock, they write of Iona:
"The colors of sea and sky are pristine, the beaches are of white sand, and great patches of wild daffodils turn the island into a blaze of yellow each spring. At both ends of the island the lovely low hills with their score of secret glens and hollows must hide a thousand memories of age old ceremonials or gatherings under the moon. At dusk, even today, they seem to be haunted by spirits of long ago. The turf is chopped short everywhere by the ranging sheep, but the ground has probably never been uncovered to reveal the ancient treasures that must lie beneath.
"Iona feels old: the air, the ground, the contours of the land seem saturated with ancient memories. Possibly because of its remoteness (no cars are allowed on the island), the island seems to shun contemporary life. The air is fresh and energizing but has the sweet aroma of hidden secrets; the ground is often rutted as though hundreds of thousands of feet have traversed the same routes."
When the Ionian priestesses feared invasion by lesser magical elements, they brought into their sacred stronghold certain Druids who were aligned to their spiritual principles. The Druids remained on Iona after the priestess-hood had departed.
There were many different sects of Druids, some of which were quite bloodthirsty in nature, and others, like the Ionian Druids, who refused the tenets of sacrifice, wishing only to worship nature in her purest and undefiled form. These ?purists' were descended from the original Atlantean Dorrids, who were known in Atlantis as ?Priests and Priestesses of the Earth'. After the usurpation of the Melchizedekean Temples in Atlantis, some of the undefiled priests and priestesses fled to the sanctuaries of the Dorrids and were thus absorbed into their fold.
In ?Magical and Mystical Sites' we read:
"....the Anglo-American mystic Col. James Churchward, in The Lost Continent of Mu, speculated that the original Druids were descended from Egyptian priests who landed in Ireland and the west of England, bringing with them all their ancient beliefs in sun worship."
Certainly Egyptian beliefs were to be found within the Druid practice, but Egypt was originally a colony of Atlantis, the true source of the Druids. Iona's ancient body called the Atlanteans to its shore as if it sang a siren song to those who had suffered the loss of their sacred space. Iona's jeweled beaches bespoke the same olden rhyme of the Ancient Ones in the soft drumming of its surf and the circling cries of the gulls.
From the book ?Iona', by John L. Patterson, we read:
"The rocks of Iona are little older than the ocean from which they rise. The Reverend Edward Craig Trenholme in The Story of Iona (1909) has written: ?When our planet from a glowing mass of combustion like the sun, shriveled into a globe with a solid crust and the first oceans condensed in the hollows of its hot surface - then it was that the Archaean rocks, of which Iona and the Outer Hebrides consist, were formed on the sea bottom. They contain no fossils, for, as far as is known, no living creatures as yet existed in the desolate waste of waters or on the primeval land. They are hard, rugged and twisted, and in Iona as elsewhere marble had been developed by the vast heat and pressure they have undergone.'
"On Iona the rocks are always with you for they are only partly hidden by a thin veneer of turf and heather and you can sense their antiquity when your path is impeded by the presence of their implacable solidity. To fully appreciate the age of this part of the Earth's surface you must climb to the summit of Dun I and survey the surrounding terrain. That early settlers were prepared to live in this remote and primeval part of the world appears perverse but there is some evidence that ancient rocks possessed magical qualities for the old religions; and Iona, for this reason, may have been chosen as a centre by the Druids for their rituals. It is thought that Dun I may possibly have been used for their primitive rites and it is not difficult to imagine, when standing on such a commanding site, that it would have appeared to them to have been the centre of the world."
On Iona, the Priestesses of Ank welcomed individuals into their sanctuary for periods of instruction and often healing. Those brought to the island were selected through a process which included scrying. Scrying is the magical art of viewing events at a distance in time and space through a reflective element such as water, crystal or a polished surface. An astral initiation is giving spiritual initiation into inner-plane learning while in out-of-body experience. Many who came to Iona came not
in the physical body. The Ank Priestess-hood opened several layers of the etheric over this isle, some of which remains loosely formed to this day. Thus, there are many astral presences still moving upon the surface of the Island of the Druids.
Iona shares her sacred space of ocean with several other islands, one of which is the tiny Staffa. Uninhabited today, it harbors two enormous caves, whose current names are Mackinnon's and Fingal's. In the time of the Ank priestesses of Iona, these caves were magical enclaves for their oracle use.
In this age, Iona calls to many new seekers of Light who wander about her wind tossed hills, alert to any sign of communion with the past. Yet deep in the mother's bosom a child is sleeping, a king-child who will one day take up the gleaming sword of truth.
Monday, January 05, 2004
Sunday, January 04, 2004
Giftmas and Geekdom
Things I couldn't put on my Giftmas mixes (due to copyright restrictions and soforth):
"Snow,Glass,Apples" by Neil Gaiman
"Murder Mysteries" by Neil Gaiman
Various Cthulu and SF parody songs by Terence Chua
I suppose I have become an official girl geek. I now own a copy of the Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook and a full set of dragon dice. Probably only a matter time until someone drags me to a rapier practice if I don't watch my step :)
"Snow,Glass,Apples" by Neil Gaiman
"Murder Mysteries" by Neil Gaiman
Various Cthulu and SF parody songs by Terence Chua
I suppose I have become an official girl geek. I now own a copy of the Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook and a full set of dragon dice. Probably only a matter time until someone drags me to a rapier practice if I don't watch my step :)
Saturday, January 03, 2004
Coming soon...the story of...
A muse who thought they needed one
Failure to absorb both a vitamin and a friggin clue...
Apparently potassium deficiency can cause "muscle weakness, fatigue, mental confusion, irritability, weakness, heart disturbances, and problems in nerve conduction and muscle contraction," as well as palpitations, and some people "find they are not processing information quickly when potassium levels get very low." It can also be a trigger for depression and mimic the syptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. All of this is good to know. Seriously thought I was having heart attack or something last night, but it turns out I just needed a big glass of orange juice. Allright, that's a bit of a simplification. I've a tendency to be potassium deficient, but it takes a special degree of self neglect to reach that level of depletion. The catch 22 there being that vitamin deficiencies of this sort tend to keep you from thinking clearly, so it just doesn't occur to you that maybe eating a friggin tomato or something is the answer to all your problems. Am considering this to be a wakeup call and rearranging my priorities to include some sort of half assed stab at moderately adequate nutrition.
Friday, January 02, 2004
Friday Five
What are you most looking forward to . . .
1)Today? A nice, warm lunch.
2)Next week? "Giftmas" on Saturday, Maggie going back to school.
3)This year? Me going back to school if humanly possible.
4)The next five years? Getting off my slacker ass to find a purpose, so I can be a good role model for my girls.
5)The rest of your life?Never growing stagnant.
1)Today? A nice, warm lunch.
2)Next week? "Giftmas" on Saturday, Maggie going back to school.
3)This year? Me going back to school if humanly possible.
4)The next five years? Getting off my slacker ass to find a purpose, so I can be a good role model for my girls.
5)The rest of your life?Never growing stagnant.
Thursday, January 01, 2004
Arethusa the Nypmph
Myth of the Day:
Arethusa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A nymph known in several different parts of Greece, usually the Pelopponnese and Sicily. She was one of the Nereids. The river-god Alpheus fell madly in love with her, but she fled to Sicily. There she was changed into a fountain (the Fonte Aretusa, in Syracuse) by Artemis. Apheus made his way beneath the sea, and united his waters with those of Arethusa.
On coins from Syracuse the head of Arethusa was often portrayed (ca. 500 BCE). This girls' head has often a net in her hair and is usually surrounded by fish.
"Where Alph the sacred river ran through caverns measureless to men and out to a sunless sea..."
- Coleridge
Arethusa
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A nymph known in several different parts of Greece, usually the Pelopponnese and Sicily. She was one of the Nereids. The river-god Alpheus fell madly in love with her, but she fled to Sicily. There she was changed into a fountain (the Fonte Aretusa, in Syracuse) by Artemis. Apheus made his way beneath the sea, and united his waters with those of Arethusa.
On coins from Syracuse the head of Arethusa was often portrayed (ca. 500 BCE). This girls' head has often a net in her hair and is usually surrounded by fish.
"Where Alph the sacred river ran through caverns measureless to men and out to a sunless sea..."
- Coleridge
Full on New Year Ogham Reading As to Situation at Hand
The Past:
Reed
Knowledge and preservation
You have already taken steps to preserve things you value for the future- something many forget in the rush of everyday life. Perhaps you have also spent time studying in preparation for the future. These steps have given you a solid foundation from which to approach the current situation.
While not a tree in our modern definition, reed- the thirteenth of the Ogham trees- has a woody stem which fits an ancient definition of a tree. Reeds were used for many things in ancient times: pens, paper, measurement, roofing thatch, and floor coverings, among other uses. The reed, then, symbolizes knowledge and scholarship, and preservation in general- of physical goods, as a roof preserves the household, and of knowledge, as writing makes the words of those far from us available to us.
Color:
Grass green
Animals:
Dog, Stag, and Rat
Bird:
Goose
The Present:
Blackthorn
Strength in adversity
These are difficult times, and the situation is not an easy one. However, you do have the tools you need in this time of struggle. Persist in the struggle as long as is necessary- and then lay down your weapons and enjoy the end to strife.
The blackthorn or sloe tree has tough wood, long thorns, and small edible fruits. It is the fourteenth tree of the Ogham. It is used for walking sticks and shillelaghs, as a hedging plant, and its fruits can be used to flavor beverages. Blackthorn symbolizes both adversity, and the ability to be strong in it and to overcome it.
Color:
Bright purple
Animals:
Wolf, Toad, and Black Cat
Bird:
Thrush
The Future:
Birch
A new beginning
A new beginning will change the situation dramatically when it arrives. Much will be different then, so it would be wise to anticipate this by resolving old business, enabling you to truly begin anew.
The first of the Ogham trees, and traditionally the first to have Ogham carved upon it, birch symbolizes beginnings. As both a protector and a gateway to the Otherworld, it also indicates good fortune. There is some risk of hastiness and rashness as well; while good luck can compensate, foresight is also of benefit.
Color:
White
Animal:
Cow
Bird:
Pheasant
mythology
detritus
opinion
Reed
Knowledge and preservation
You have already taken steps to preserve things you value for the future- something many forget in the rush of everyday life. Perhaps you have also spent time studying in preparation for the future. These steps have given you a solid foundation from which to approach the current situation.
While not a tree in our modern definition, reed- the thirteenth of the Ogham trees- has a woody stem which fits an ancient definition of a tree. Reeds were used for many things in ancient times: pens, paper, measurement, roofing thatch, and floor coverings, among other uses. The reed, then, symbolizes knowledge and scholarship, and preservation in general- of physical goods, as a roof preserves the household, and of knowledge, as writing makes the words of those far from us available to us.
Color:
Grass green
Animals:
Dog, Stag, and Rat
Bird:
Goose
The Present:
Blackthorn
Strength in adversity
These are difficult times, and the situation is not an easy one. However, you do have the tools you need in this time of struggle. Persist in the struggle as long as is necessary- and then lay down your weapons and enjoy the end to strife.
The blackthorn or sloe tree has tough wood, long thorns, and small edible fruits. It is the fourteenth tree of the Ogham. It is used for walking sticks and shillelaghs, as a hedging plant, and its fruits can be used to flavor beverages. Blackthorn symbolizes both adversity, and the ability to be strong in it and to overcome it.
Color:
Bright purple
Animals:
Wolf, Toad, and Black Cat
Bird:
Thrush
The Future:
Birch
A new beginning
A new beginning will change the situation dramatically when it arrives. Much will be different then, so it would be wise to anticipate this by resolving old business, enabling you to truly begin anew.
The first of the Ogham trees, and traditionally the first to have Ogham carved upon it, birch symbolizes beginnings. As both a protector and a gateway to the Otherworld, it also indicates good fortune. There is some risk of hastiness and rashness as well; while good luck can compensate, foresight is also of benefit.
Color:
White
Animal:
Cow
Bird:
Pheasant
mythology
detritus
opinion
Happy New Year To All
Done marinating, now I'm ruminating. My goal is to be a bit wiser and slower to act this year. Don't know that I'd quite call it a resolution or anything.
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