That said, I have difficulty turning down a personal request & I received two of these blog playground "tags" which I was going to politely decline, but then I reconsidered. Kourtney over at the Multi-Faceted Experience & Maglay over at Pagan Culture both "tagged" me this week, & after reading Maglay's rule-breaking approach, I figured I could oblige them a response in my own fashion.
Let us begin with the rules. I am not fond of such things, especially during playtime, so they're out. We were supposed to begin with 11 random things about ourselves. I am opting to follow the wisdom of my 2nd Grade Language Arts Workbook & Reader entitled, "Seven is Magic." (Funny how some things just stay with you after so many years.) I've decided to take seven things I have said about myself so thus far in this blog. As it happens, I began this project nearly seven short months ago, so I'll venture to take one for each month. It could be interesting (at least to me), so let the exercise in narcissism begin!
- I think more than I can write: "I have scraps of writing littering my bed & bedside; lists of things to investigate later, short reflections on a moment, unfinished thoughts, notations from pages upon pages of books..." from Scraps: Disgust on a 3x5 Card
- I talk to slime moulds: "I would have passed her by, thinking her some kind of human refuse, had she not hailed me as she postured along the creekside like a Las Vegas showgirl... Simultaneously appalled & awestruck, I realized that this was actually something living -- I had heard right, she did holler at me." from Wandering: A Mystery with the Most Vivid Colour
- I have unfulfilled promises on my conscience: "Back in 1992 or 1993 I attended a blót during which I made an oath I did not keep. In my "youthful exuberance" & utter foolishness, I made a vow to Freya..." from Thoughts While Nursing: With Apologies to Freya
- I am envious of those more feral than me: "West Virginia has always been, to my mind, a place of mystery, folklore & strange knowledge tucked away in unfamiliar, dark hills. I had a friend in college who was raised somewhere in that mysterious place... every time she spoke of her childhood in West Virginia, she started turn feral right before your eyes. I was so jealous." from Transforming "Spiritual Warfare": Day 16 (West Virginia)
- I will do anything to get the right shot of a Moonrise: "Me -- muttering to the Moon while neighbors & motorists glance at me askance -- wading through backyards, tripping over snowbanks, clinging to the overpass to capture Her arrival." -- from Full Moon Pie
- I talk to canyons too... everyday, in fact: "The canyon I greet every morning shares the same shades as French toast at this time of day, in this overcast light. I have no name for it -- official or otherwise -- the ravine of my morning ritual, this old & familiar friend... perhaps I shall call it Breakfast Canyon." -- from Liberty, Liberté
- I compulsively question the underlying relationships of everything: "I would argue that this "question-asking" is essential to the pursuit of spiritual development & awareness. It is an avenue, a channel, a path to the mysteries & to the gods. It is not the only way, but it is a vital one." -- from Sciento-Paganism, Entry I: The Mystery of Relationship
As if that wasn't enough, the game goes on (!) with 11 questions, written by the "tagger" to be answered by the "tag" recipient. I decided to play pick-&-choose from Kourtney's (very nice) list of 11 & Maglay's handful of links (she opted not to write an list herself -- & I will be following her example!) I chose seven questions that I thought could be answered in a thoughtful manner, or might have some relevance to Paganism, spirituality, etc.
- Do you have a favorite quote or mantra? What is it? Yes. A line found in a couple of books written by Patricia Geary (Strange Toys & either The Other Canyon or Guru Cigarettes -- not sure which). It is, to me, something of a mantra, or at least an enduring reminder: "Ennui is the death of the only soul worth having."
- Name the first word or image that comes to mind. My Mac's desktop homage to Herne: digital artwork created by myself using an personal image of the Moon & a photo of a sculpture created by DeviantArt contributor Jewel-lilet.
- What is your favorite spell, if any? I don't really have a "favourite" but, I am very fond of improv spells such as the one spontaneously created by my Little Lad this past fall. See Children Are Naturals (A Healing for Baby B)
- What is your favourite smell? The scent of the high desert after a rain.
- What is your favorite herb? Desert Sagebrush (Artemesia Tridentata), for being the primary source of the answer to question 4.
- What is the weirdest movie you have ever seen? Juan Moctezuma's "Mansion de la Locura/Mansion of Madness" which is very loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe story, The System of Dr. Tarr & Prof. Fether. Moctezuma was a Mexican B-movie director who had an incredible (& incredibly bizarre) imagination. He also created one of one of my favourite films, Alucarda. Both films are rife with pagan themes, although not necessarily flattering in their depictions. That's ok with me because I have a sense of humour. I was going to provide an imbedded trailer for Mansion of Madness here, but it is filled with sexual violence, run-of-the-mill violence, inexplicable weirdness, gratuitous nudity & general mayhem, all terribly out of context. Since I don't have an adult filter on my blog, I don't really want to be responsible for upsetting, offending, disturbing folks... or their children. So, here's a pretty picture instead:
- What is your favorite movie? The Wicker Man (1973). If for no other reason than this scene:
Herne with Lady Luna. |
Image from Mondo Esoterica. Film trailer found here. |
...a stirring adaptation of a poem by Walt Whitman which speaks very directly & personally to my soul.
I think I could turn and live with animals, they are
so placid and self - contain'd,
I stand and look at them long and long.
They do not sweat and whine about their condition,
They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,
They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God,
Not one is dissatisfied, not one is demented with the
mania of owning things,
Not one kneels to another, nor to his kind that lived
thousands of years ago,
Not one is respectable, or unhappy over the whole earth.
So they show their relations to me and I accept them,Well, frightening as it might seem, the game continues... but I have had quite enough of the game & myself. With that, I conclude this game of "Tag" & say goodnight. (None of you shall be tagged! I am sparing you all the nonsense & self-indulgence... Although it was thought provoking to read thru the past few months of entries, I think I would be better off sleeping.)
They bring me tokens of myself, they evince them plainly in their possession.
4 comments:
I think more than I can write, too. It used to overwhelm me to no end. Now, I write a sentence or two of an idea and, like you, end up with many bits all over the place.
That is an amazing work of art, my friend! The Horned One sharing the sky with the moon, lovely!
Loved your adaptation of the game! And your artwork is beautiful! Thank you for linking up to PPBH! I've so enjoyed your posts! (Glad you liked my 'Hail Columbia' button too! I love to see others take interest in the project!)
Blessings,
Kourtney
Thank you! It was an effort of True Love. ;)
Thank you & yes, I had wanted to provide an eye-catching Hail Colombia link for awhile now --your button is so lovely, I just had to "borrow" it. ;)
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