tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post7752503032011042155..comments2024-02-10T02:58:07.102-05:00Comments on Celestial Reflections: Once Upon a Time There Was a Chymical WeddingLaVaughnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-88654856978037602172014-07-30T16:40:15.449-04:002014-07-30T16:40:15.449-04:00Aliens? Okay, that took me a minute. I see what yo...Aliens? Okay, that took me a minute. I see what you mean now. No. I was just talking about Christina's show on getting back to the authentic self. Just thought it was an interesting synchronicity, as we were just discussing the red shoes.<br /><br />I hope you enjoy the show. Mmmm..... popcorn....LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-8632376180628591842014-07-30T13:54:00.068-04:002014-07-30T13:54:00.068-04:00I have sat down to respond to this 2 or 3 times si...I have sat down to respond to this 2 or 3 times since yesterday and been pulled away from my computer every time... I have been very busy!<br /><br />However, I wasn't interested in any of those radio shows. I'm not into any kind of religion (don't let my username fool you), my kids are grown, and I don't care whether aliens walk among us or not, hehe. I AM interested in watching OUAT though... which I just got season 1,2 and 3!!! I'm gonna have an episode watching marathon tonight! I think I'll even make popcorn, hahaha! zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-78820629249432200732014-07-29T10:56:19.726-04:002014-07-29T10:56:19.726-04:00Hey zigzag, I thought this was something of a sync...Hey zigzag, I thought this was something of a synchronicity. <br /><br /><a href="http://celestial-reflections.blogspot.com/2014/07/cafe_29.html" rel="nofollow">http://celestial-reflections.blogspot.com/2014/07/cafe_29.html</a>LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-84624123589574465362014-07-28T00:37:13.451-04:002014-07-28T00:37:13.451-04:00Gavin de Becker, Gift of Fear, says that our insti...Gavin de Becker, <i>Gift of Fear</i>, says that our instincts have served us through thousands of years of evolution. I'm a big believer in trusting instincts and intuition. As I said, I've learned it hard. <br /><br />When I've bought books in bookstores, I've often picked them up and felt in my body whether they're right or not. So even when it comes to cerebral pursuits, I think my gut has served me well. It's harder with internet bookstores. Dowsing helps. LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-83396018684213553502014-07-27T10:32:44.049-04:002014-07-27T10:32:44.049-04:00I agree... but did the book call to me or was it j...I agree... but did the book call to me or was it just dredged up from my memory by your mentioning reckless impulse? Like having a picnic one day and then dreaming about a picnic that night.<br /><br />I'll probably go ahead and get it though because I really like the cover. Then there's this bit from a NY Times reviewer: "Konner proposes that our rationality evolved in a world where seat-of-the-pants problem-solving sufficed. If you made it past the saber-toothed tiger safely and found a bush of ripe berries, you had done well." Gee, what a coincidence... I just used that seat of the pants phrase in this conversation! And for sure I've made it past a few saber tooth tigers and found plenty of berries. Oh well, we'll see... if it suddenly turns up on my doorstep I'll definitely read it.zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-44395209448123622682014-07-27T09:21:38.745-04:002014-07-27T09:21:38.745-04:00"In the bad old days in India, when widows of..."In the bad old days in India, when widows of Hindu men were burned to death on their husbands’ funeral pyres, that was not because their dead husbands hated them, although it might as well have been."<br /><br />Um, yeah! It still goes on, btw. It's called Sati, or Sutee. It's illegal, but there are still instances of it happening little villages here and there. Horrible.<br /><br />Good article. I'm not familiar with the book or the author, but when a book calls, pick it up. I only read books as they call to me. I have books that are years old that I haven't read yet because it wasn't time. I know it will be some day so I keep them.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-37951426362913268122014-07-27T04:46:31.450-04:002014-07-27T04:46:31.450-04:00I have been keeping a pretty much nocturnal schedu...I have been keeping a pretty much nocturnal schedule these days, and this fun conversation with you kept me up waaay past my bedtime (which is usually right around noon). I went to bed shortly after my last post, which was around 6:30pm and I got up at 1am.<br /><br />I headed out for my 'midnight' walk (with my cats trailing along behind - you'd think they were dogs the way they love going for walks with me), and found myself thinking about a book I used to own called "Why the Reckless Survive", which is another book that I really loved the title of but couldn't muster up enough interest to finish reading. It seemed like the book was written by a psychiatrist or something, and I hate psychiatrists.<br /><br />The guy who wrote it is Melvin Konner and I just read that he is a Professor of Anthropology and of Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. I went to his website and read this blog entry:<br /><br />http://www.melvinkonner.com/index.php?option=com_wordpress&p=677&Itemid=72#more-677<br /><br />What do you think? I enjoyed the read so much that I might have to give 'Why the Reckless Survive' another chance too (along with Estes' book).<br /><br />My kitty just came and informed that it's raining outside (my favorite weather!!) so I will have to go out and enjoy it before I tend to such domestic tasks as mopping floors and rearranging my computer area, hahaha.<br />zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-78921629830416395002014-07-26T19:20:35.004-04:002014-07-26T19:20:35.004-04:00I wonder why my school did a lot of things the way...I wonder why my school did a lot of things the way they did. That was pretty minor, in the grand scheme.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-77595083308696579282014-07-26T18:26:30.829-04:002014-07-26T18:26:30.829-04:00The reason I thought it was Red Riding Hood you we...The reason I thought it was Red Riding Hood you were referring to was because I thought I saw her standing there in red shorts and red high heels, but I just went back up and looked and it's red shorts and a red jacket, not red high heels... her feet are pretty much cut off in the photo. And oh yay, I never killed anybody so maybe there's hope for me after all! I'm looking forward to watching that series.<br /><br />I don't eat a lot of wheat myself, but sometimes I want a tuna sandwich or a pizza (with goat cheese, garlic and spinach - yum!) and I just don't trust store bought breads (or pizza crusts). I think fermented dough is more easily digested and less problematic.<br /><br />I wonder why your school taught sewing before they taught cooking?? Seems like it should be the other way around.zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-26653293971400755182014-07-26T17:42:20.757-04:002014-07-26T17:42:20.757-04:00Well, that's the thing. The Red Riding Hood ch...Well, that's the thing. The Red Riding Hood character in OUAT seems to allude -- rather strongly -- to The Red Shoes. She's at war with her impulses and her grandmother is constantly trying to rein her in, in good, reasonable ways, and in unintentionally soul crushing ways. It's only when she reclaims her wildish nature that she can reclaim her instincts without being run by her impulses and, you know, killing people. It's actually very well drawn.<br /><br />I've always been able to cook. That's one talent I definitely do have. I don't do breads because I can't eat wheat and yeasts and I are touch and go. So your sour dough, while delicious I'm sure, is right out for me. But I was an A student in my eighth grade cooking class. Now that teacher loved me. LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-54242557578008758022014-07-26T17:13:05.277-04:002014-07-26T17:13:05.277-04:00Reckless impulse in an attempt to compensate for i...Reckless impulse in an attempt to compensate for injured instinct. Hahahaha... I wonder why that sounds so familiar to me? <br /><br />And no, I don't remember ever hearing the story of the girl whose shoes danced her to death, although now that you mention it sounds vaguely familiar... I thought you were referring to Red Riding Hood in OUAT.<br /><br />Not only can I sew but I baked my first loaf of sourdough bread from scratch today, hahaha!<br /><br />zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-4888001007848181272014-07-26T16:05:46.148-04:002014-07-26T16:05:46.148-04:00And, for the record, I applaud that you can sew, p...And, for the record, I applaud that you can sew, period. It's a talent I lack and it's something that can only be learned in part. I can sew buttons back on and tuck things. It pretty much ends there. You know those poor illiterate kids that teachers pass with a D just because they never want to see them again? That was my seventh grade sewing teacher. I think she was just really afraid that I was going irreparably break a sewing machine. It was a fair concern. LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-41713642439061270992014-07-26T16:01:02.309-04:002014-07-26T16:01:02.309-04:00The problem is that the feral have injured instinc...The problem is that the feral have injured instincts. Much of what we think is our instinct, when we're in that state, is just reckless impulse and can lead to further injury. We're not in touch with our core. Results are things like addictive behaviors. One of the examples Estes points to is Janis Joplin. The tricky thing about intuition is that we can call something intuition that is really just a really strong ego want and deceive ourselves. We can end up chasing fantasy instead of vision. That's how Estes interprets "The Red Shoes," which, as you probably know, is a story about a girl whose shoes dance her to her death. LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-60360490887161007172014-07-26T15:38:55.172-04:002014-07-26T15:38:55.172-04:00"Oh, one other thing I wanted to say, on inst..."Oh, one other thing I wanted to say, on instincts. This is one thing I've learned the hard way, more than once, more than twice... If my intellect and my intuition agree, great. If not, go with intuition, even if it makes not a lick of sense. My intuition has proved out more times than I can count and when I've second-guessed it too much, I've paid the price."<br /><br />Hahaha... a few years ago I bragged to my sister "I've finally learned to listen to my inner voice." Then, not even 3 days later, I was sewing curtains for my son's room. They were black velvet and of course I was using black thread. As I was getting ready to sew them a little voice in the back of my head said "Measure twice, sew once". I answered back "nah, my measurements are accurate" and proceeded to sew not one row of stitching but two very close together rows of stitching, and with the smallest stitch that I could possibly use. It took me more than a week of unfuckingbelievably TEDIOUS work to get that stitching back out! <br /><br />I love red shoes!!! And to my understanding, the only difference between feral and wild is that wild was born that way and feral was once domesticated but has reverted to wild. What's wrong with that??zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-36185840553191829462014-07-26T14:57:24.395-04:002014-07-26T14:57:24.395-04:00Oh, one other thing I wanted to say, on instincts....Oh, one other thing I wanted to say, on instincts. This is one thing I've learned the hard way, more than once, more than twice... If my intellect and my intuition agree, great. If not, go with intuition, even if it makes not a lick of sense. My intuition has proved out more times than I can count and when I've second-guessed it too much, I've paid the price.<br /><br />The thing is, that's what<i>Women Who Run</i> is about. It's about recovering and healing the instinctual nature. Most of us, growing up in a world that disparages instinct and intuition, have injured instincts. Particularly as women, because we've collectively suffered so much abuse -- emotionally, sexually, and on every level, our drives have been thwarted and turned against us. It happens with men, too, and I've recommended this book to male clients in some cases. I've known both men and women, for instance, to wear "the red shoes" -- feralness as opposed to wildness. But for women it's profound and systemic. LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-13602683576841939802014-07-26T14:54:03.601-04:002014-07-26T14:54:03.601-04:00"Nothin' wrong with that, zigzag. As Este..."Nothin' wrong with that, zigzag. As Estes says, the stories themselves are medicine. (Or in the case of some stories, like The Giving Tree, poison.)"<br /><br />Yeah, I'm VERY careful about what I read or watch... I like to be entertained not poisoned!<br /><br />And definitely there is a shift happening. I think we have reached critical mass, or soon will... it wasn't all that long ago this kind of awareness had to be hidden from your neighbors unless you wanted to be ostracized from the community at best, or worse thrown into insane asylums or even burned alive. Now you can find it EVERYWHERE you look.Yeah, a shift is happening alright. I really believe it has already happened.zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-34914044554289209612014-07-26T13:44:10.770-04:002014-07-26T13:44:10.770-04:00"I would have missed most of these 'dots&..."I would have missed most of these 'dots' you have connected since I know next to nothing about mythology and sacred geometry... I would have just been carried by the story and imagery like a child."<br /><br />Nothin' wrong with that, zigzag. As Estes says, the stories themselves are medicine. (Or in the case of some stories, like <i>The Giving Tree</i>, poison.) So much of this speaks directly to the subconscious. And for all I know, it was derived entirely from the subconscious. For all I know the writers have no interest in alchemy, sacred geometry, or myth. That's the thing about archetypes. We know them even if we don't know them. I just tend to think they must know something because it's just so laden with imagery and its use is so coherent. Of course, if you a deep interest in fairy tales, you're already immersed in myth and the writers are definitely fairy tale lovers.<br /><br />I know for a fact that the symbolism in Harry Potter, another one that can be thoroughly enjoyed at the level of story, is very conscious. J.K. Rowling is extremely well-versed in Western Alchemy and has been fairly public about that.<br /><br />What's more interesting to me is that there seems to have been a dramatic uptick in the use of this symbolism in television and film. I thought it might be just a case of my being more dialed in, in more recent years. But I watch older movies and shows, old favorites, and even when it's there, it's not as prominent or pervasive. I really think there's some sort of shift happening, probably at the level of the collective unconscious. I'm just having my mind blown every time I turn on my television.LaVaughnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09147322061125012346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766906560812521746.post-23075649072428766102014-07-26T06:16:54.294-04:002014-07-26T06:16:54.294-04:00You have an amazing ability to 'connect the do...You have an amazing ability to 'connect the dots'.<br /><br />I would have missed most of these 'dots' you have connected since I know next to nothing about mythology and sacred geometry... I would have just been carried by the story and imagery like a child.<br /><br />I don't have much of a formal education - I basically stopped going to school in the 7th grade. By the time 9th grade rolled around I had been made a 'ward of the court', for truant/runaway stuff, and sent to a Catholic 'home for wayward girls'. I officially dropped out of school in the 10th grade. <br /><br />I do read a lot and I'm pretty good at crossword puzzles, but whenever I try to analyze shit and use my intellect to make a decision or a choice it does not turn out well. My instincts serve me much better and I have always had more success 'flying by the seat of my pants'.<br /><br />And that is another reason I did not care for Women/Wolves... it seemed to be all about analyzing and interpreting the 'artwork' of life and then applying that intellectual understanding, based on somebody else's interpretations, back on the instinctual self as therapy. And like I said elsewhere - trees make the best therapists. Gardening is great therapy too. That has been my experience anyway.<br /><br />Still, I am totally and absolutely impressed with your keen observations and your ability to put them into such cohesive, crystal clear context. And I love your taste in music too, hahahaha!zigzagbuddhahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00550899424907175116noreply@blogger.com