Psychogeography and the Genius Loci
Conversations with Jack Faust regarding psychogeography as a means of engagement with the genius loci continues. His new post is here.
In response, I posted this comment, and note the interesting validation for my comment I had to type in:
Jack, there is some excellent stuff on Genius Loci and all the related place entities in Josephine McCarthy's books, in particular "The Exorcist's Handbook." Note for example, p. 76 in "Beings You May Encounter" (mention of the Bell Witch), and the entire Chapter 12, "Issues of the Land and Beings of Nature" (pp, 185-198).
Nigel Pennick's books on geomancy have a lot of good things, Chuck Pettis writes about land entities that attacked him while dowsing for his Seattle ley project, and Barry Patterson's "Conversations with the Genius Loci" is worth a read.
I think pretty much anything can be a contact or sign from the land, whether a wandering person who comes up and starts talking to you about the place, the condition of houses and plants and soil, simulacra in the plants and stones, winds and dust devils, even random bits of trash or newspapers or wrappers can tell you not just about how much trash is thrown there (the condition of the land) but the WORDS can sometimes be put together into a coherent message.
There is a psychogeographic exercise where you take a map of the area of concern, and draw a circle on the map with a template, matching its perceived boundaries as closely as possible. Then WALK the perimeter following the perimeter as well as you can (obviously you can't walk through buildings, or cross some yards, etc.) and look for messages along your way in the form of things seen, heard, street names, signs, scraps of newspapers, etc. Record your journey, either with a camera or on paper, and then go home and meditate on the signs you found to see what the area is telling you.
The validation for this post? "Indorst natesonf" which I read as: "Endorsed, Nativeson F(oster)," a stamp of approval for this advice :-)
In response, I posted this comment, and note the interesting validation for my comment I had to type in:
Jack, there is some excellent stuff on Genius Loci and all the related place entities in Josephine McCarthy's books, in particular "The Exorcist's Handbook." Note for example, p. 76 in "Beings You May Encounter" (mention of the Bell Witch), and the entire Chapter 12, "Issues of the Land and Beings of Nature" (pp, 185-198).
Nigel Pennick's books on geomancy have a lot of good things, Chuck Pettis writes about land entities that attacked him while dowsing for his Seattle ley project, and Barry Patterson's "Conversations with the Genius Loci" is worth a read.
I think pretty much anything can be a contact or sign from the land, whether a wandering person who comes up and starts talking to you about the place, the condition of houses and plants and soil, simulacra in the plants and stones, winds and dust devils, even random bits of trash or newspapers or wrappers can tell you not just about how much trash is thrown there (the condition of the land) but the WORDS can sometimes be put together into a coherent message.
There is a psychogeographic exercise where you take a map of the area of concern, and draw a circle on the map with a template, matching its perceived boundaries as closely as possible. Then WALK the perimeter following the perimeter as well as you can (obviously you can't walk through buildings, or cross some yards, etc.) and look for messages along your way in the form of things seen, heard, street names, signs, scraps of newspapers, etc. Record your journey, either with a camera or on paper, and then go home and meditate on the signs you found to see what the area is telling you.
The validation for this post? "Indorst natesonf" which I read as: "Endorsed, Nativeson F(oster)," a stamp of approval for this advice :-)