Souls.
Because I ache and look like hell, my life's fraying faster than I can fix it, because I'm tired of being blongey and writing miserable wibble, and because I was writing stories whilst at the Oast...
Once upon a time, so long ago it was in a different Age, there were no people.
That is not to say however, that there were not those who walked on two legs and had philosophy in their thoughts. It is to say, more accurately, that there were no Simply People. There were people all right, but every person was also something else.
Without wishing to get into a grand debate nor confuse the issue too much, I will plainly state that everything in creation had five souls. A Person soul, a Shape soul of plant or animal*, an Element soul**, a soul of Giving or Lack and lastly a Secret soul***, which was nobody’s business save theirs - not mine, and certainly not yours.
In this way, a particular young man may have amongst his souls that of wolf and water - which would make him clever and quick-thinking as a river and also give him a body that could be lupine and four-footed when it wanted to. Or perhaps a young lady would have the souls of fire and oak - this would make her generous and quick tempered, loyal, vivacious, and upon occasion, a tree.
You note I haven’t mentioned the souls of Give and Lack? That’s because they of all the souls were most changeable. If a person is born with a Lacking soul, if they are shown enough beauty, joy and love, their soul will doubtless change to a Giving one. Likewise, those with the most Giving of soul when put through enough hardship, hate and strife will feel their soul twist to Lack...
For my part I think my other souls go like this:
Shape soul - Raven
Element soul - Firmament (ie, after Air ends but maybe before things become Space)
Mood soul - predominantly Lack
Secret soul - Magic
In this system of metaphor and thought, what are your souls and most importantly - why?
*= Plant, animal, insect, bird, fish, reptile etc. Any organic (theoretically) living thing really, yes, even ameba or viruses, T-rex or unicorns if you like.
**= Elements so far: Earth Wood Metal Air Water Sea Fire Magma Lightning Rock Flint Void Firmament Storm Moon Sun Stars Space Sand Gem Ghost Shadow Light Clockwork Glass... although I'm sure many others are applicable.
***= Secrets best translate somehow into skills, knacks, or something random which is somehow applicable. Secret souls do not have to be explained, they can just be a single word descriptive which others must puzzle out such at 'coffee', 'technology' or 'music'.
Once upon a time, so long ago it was in a different Age, there were no people.
That is not to say however, that there were not those who walked on two legs and had philosophy in their thoughts. It is to say, more accurately, that there were no Simply People. There were people all right, but every person was also something else.
Without wishing to get into a grand debate nor confuse the issue too much, I will plainly state that everything in creation had five souls. A Person soul, a Shape soul of plant or animal*, an Element soul**, a soul of Giving or Lack and lastly a Secret soul***, which was nobody’s business save theirs - not mine, and certainly not yours.
In this way, a particular young man may have amongst his souls that of wolf and water - which would make him clever and quick-thinking as a river and also give him a body that could be lupine and four-footed when it wanted to. Or perhaps a young lady would have the souls of fire and oak - this would make her generous and quick tempered, loyal, vivacious, and upon occasion, a tree.
You note I haven’t mentioned the souls of Give and Lack? That’s because they of all the souls were most changeable. If a person is born with a Lacking soul, if they are shown enough beauty, joy and love, their soul will doubtless change to a Giving one. Likewise, those with the most Giving of soul when put through enough hardship, hate and strife will feel their soul twist to Lack...
For my part I think my other souls go like this:
Shape soul - Raven
Element soul - Firmament (ie, after Air ends but maybe before things become Space)
Mood soul - predominantly Lack
Secret soul - Magic
In this system of metaphor and thought, what are your souls and most importantly - why?
*= Plant, animal, insect, bird, fish, reptile etc. Any organic (theoretically) living thing really, yes, even ameba or viruses, T-rex or unicorns if you like.
**= Elements so far: Earth Wood Metal Air Water Sea Fire Magma Lightning Rock Flint Void Firmament Storm Moon Sun Stars Space Sand Gem Ghost Shadow Light Clockwork Glass... although I'm sure many others are applicable.
***= Secrets best translate somehow into skills, knacks, or something random which is somehow applicable. Secret souls do not have to be explained, they can just be a single word descriptive which others must puzzle out such at 'coffee', 'technology' or 'music'.