Yeah, you got it: flying saucers = time machines
It's been nine days & I'm not experiencing any sort of nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, so I think I'm probably not infected... but my recent encounter with a rodent nest in boxes of books that I was moving out of storage caused me to consider whether or not I had contracted a Hantavirus. I have a slight tendency to get hypochondriac anyway, and working in psychiatric healthcare, I have to fend off transference from my patients, who are often paranoid. But in any case, I really messed myself up, last weekend. I had stayed up too late getting ready for the garage sale, which reduced the efficacy of my immune system, and I pulled some serious muscles in my shoulder & chest, too. And with all of the dust while I was moving, I had my first ever serious asthma attack; so, I used some antihistamines, at least. Between shallow breathing, chest pains, & feverish signs... I had to at least research Hantaviruses to be aware of other possible symptoms. At this point, it seems to me that there's really little else to do, but take care of business as usual. Although, in two to four weeks I will know for sure.
In my recent devotions to Babalu Aye, I have encountered the spirit of contagion in many forms; but this is the closest that I have come to facing my mortality, lately. Well, at least since I returned from working with DPW @ Burning Man, this year... where I picked up my current motto, "What does not kill me, only makes me stranger!"
Prostrating myself in propitiation of Babalu Aye, during my first ceremony concerning the Hantavirus, I re-experienced my earliest memory: a seething, echoing sound that i interpreted as "wild boars coming to get me!" Around two years old, this was my first moment of reflexive awareness. I believe it was likely produced by reverberating harmonics from the sound of blood rushing past my eardrums. Even then, I was able to assimilate this primal fear, and I conceive of it as an encounter with my first Totem. After all, according to most lunar calendars I have referenced, I was born in the year of the Metal Boar! So, when I found myself confronted with this situation again during my recent ritual, I was able to process the feelings through Yoga & the Tonglin meditation technique.
I will continue to celebrate my life to the fullest, for as long as it lasts... whether that may be seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, or decades. Whatever clock or calendar we use, I will honor every day as a holy day! I must admit though, I have noticed that people's experiences often get magnified at sacred times, such as one might encounter during xmas, burning man, or halloween. Sometimes, I do believe that the cycles of our lives can sometimes seem to easily correlate with patterns in our environment, like increased numbers of medical patients during the Full Moon & New Moon. And even though I am generally extremely skeptical of such extrapolations, I must also recognize that at some level, our perceptions do influence our own health, at least to some degree.
Although I work in healthcare, I am at a desk now. And even though I still love to go dancing, I am certainly not as healthy as I was when I was working as an arborist's assistant. Yet, I have been free of allergies for the past few years, after working a single season with They Might Be Monkeys (turning 3 tons of trees into mulch with a chainsaw, every day). I still tend to wear a bandana, whether in the desert, or moving ancient books out of storage. But some conditions call for increased protection. When I go to move the rest of my books, I will wear a HEPA filter mask, use rubber gloves, & spray everything with a 10% bleach solution.
The only book that the rats completely devoured was H. P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" ::: The cover art features rats in a pile of skulls (which was also recently featured in a frame of the (Winter Solstice) Carol of The Old Ones, during the verse: "bode a returning season of doom") ::: And although no rats appear in the story, it does contain the first mention of Yog-Sothoth
--
I had another curious experience while I was initially contemplating Hantaviruses & wondering how long I had to live... one of the first things that popped into my head was a desire to have children. I understand that reproduction is a predictable response to the but it has been a long time since I felt such a direct connection between my own self-preservation & the propagation of the species. I must admit that I am fascinated with fables of the MoonChild (aka The Illuminate Formula to Create an Undetectable Total Mind Control Slave); but let's be realistic: these are faerie tales. And I have much to arrange in my life before I would even approach readiness for such a fantastic undertaking ;~}
Earlier this evening/morning, I was quite pleased to read alobar's reference to "We Are the Witchcraft," by John Whiteside Parsons (who was also quite enamored of the MoonChild idea). Not to be too narcississtic, but Parsons' references to perennial philosophies & mystical anscestry also reminded me of my own modus operandi, and I also particularly thought of a previous inspiration for communal gatherings. I love Parsons most for his devotion to The Scarlet Woman; but he also has a number of other noteworthy qualities, besides his contributions to rocketry which resulted in a crater on our Terran Moon bearing his name. Parsons is also the epitome of why everyone should hate Scientologists; and I am particularly amused by this spectre right now. My mother left the CoS in the 70s, after they tried to coerce her actions, and they consider her a "squirrel." I am currently moving in to my mother's house (she has moved out, and is currently in Mexico; so I have to dispose of all her junk... wheee!!!!!).
--
Currently, I seem to be busy playing the proverbial fool. I spilled water on my laptop, and have lost my phone again; but I am trying to organize a moving party for Wednesday. If anyone is willing & available to assist, I will provide refreshments & entertainment.
In my recent devotions to Babalu Aye, I have encountered the spirit of contagion in many forms; but this is the closest that I have come to facing my mortality, lately. Well, at least since I returned from working with DPW @ Burning Man, this year... where I picked up my current motto, "What does not kill me, only makes me stranger!"
Prostrating myself in propitiation of Babalu Aye, during my first ceremony concerning the Hantavirus, I re-experienced my earliest memory: a seething, echoing sound that i interpreted as "wild boars coming to get me!" Around two years old, this was my first moment of reflexive awareness. I believe it was likely produced by reverberating harmonics from the sound of blood rushing past my eardrums. Even then, I was able to assimilate this primal fear, and I conceive of it as an encounter with my first Totem. After all, according to most lunar calendars I have referenced, I was born in the year of the Metal Boar! So, when I found myself confronted with this situation again during my recent ritual, I was able to process the feelings through Yoga & the Tonglin meditation technique.
I will continue to celebrate my life to the fullest, for as long as it lasts... whether that may be seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, or decades. Whatever clock or calendar we use, I will honor every day as a holy day! I must admit though, I have noticed that people's experiences often get magnified at sacred times, such as one might encounter during xmas, burning man, or halloween. Sometimes, I do believe that the cycles of our lives can sometimes seem to easily correlate with patterns in our environment, like increased numbers of medical patients during the Full Moon & New Moon. And even though I am generally extremely skeptical of such extrapolations, I must also recognize that at some level, our perceptions do influence our own health, at least to some degree.
Although I work in healthcare, I am at a desk now. And even though I still love to go dancing, I am certainly not as healthy as I was when I was working as an arborist's assistant. Yet, I have been free of allergies for the past few years, after working a single season with They Might Be Monkeys (turning 3 tons of trees into mulch with a chainsaw, every day). I still tend to wear a bandana, whether in the desert, or moving ancient books out of storage. But some conditions call for increased protection. When I go to move the rest of my books, I will wear a HEPA filter mask, use rubber gloves, & spray everything with a 10% bleach solution.
The only book that the rats completely devoured was H. P. Lovecraft's "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward" ::: The cover art features rats in a pile of skulls (which was also recently featured in a frame of the (Winter Solstice) Carol of The Old Ones, during the verse: "bode a returning season of doom") ::: And although no rats appear in the story, it does contain the first mention of Yog-Sothoth
--
I had another curious experience while I was initially contemplating Hantaviruses & wondering how long I had to live... one of the first things that popped into my head was a desire to have children. I understand that reproduction is a predictable response to the but it has been a long time since I felt such a direct connection between my own self-preservation & the propagation of the species. I must admit that I am fascinated with fables of the MoonChild (aka The Illuminate Formula to Create an Undetectable Total Mind Control Slave); but let's be realistic: these are faerie tales. And I have much to arrange in my life before I would even approach readiness for such a fantastic undertaking ;~}
Earlier this evening/morning, I was quite pleased to read alobar's reference to "We Are the Witchcraft," by John Whiteside Parsons (who was also quite enamored of the MoonChild idea). Not to be too narcississtic, but Parsons' references to perennial philosophies & mystical anscestry also reminded me of my own modus operandi, and I also particularly thought of a previous inspiration for communal gatherings. I love Parsons most for his devotion to The Scarlet Woman; but he also has a number of other noteworthy qualities, besides his contributions to rocketry which resulted in a crater on our Terran Moon bearing his name. Parsons is also the epitome of why everyone should hate Scientologists; and I am particularly amused by this spectre right now. My mother left the CoS in the 70s, after they tried to coerce her actions, and they consider her a "squirrel." I am currently moving in to my mother's house (she has moved out, and is currently in Mexico; so I have to dispose of all her junk... wheee!!!!!).
--
Currently, I seem to be busy playing the proverbial fool. I spilled water on my laptop, and have lost my phone again; but I am trying to organize a moving party for Wednesday. If anyone is willing & available to assist, I will provide refreshments & entertainment.