Only Endless Memory

Friday, November 7, 2008

Tarot Card - The Fool

So, yea, I know I have not written in over a month. It has been a pretty crappy month which has mostly contained me being in pain because of my back still. There was the good news of Obama winning the election. There is also the news that I have a new doctor now because I got sick of the last one. I am much happier with the new doctor already. It is nice to have a doctor who will actually spend time with me and make sure she checks everything she needs to.

As the subject says, I am writing about the Tarot card - The Fool. I have gotten involved with a pagan group online that started an offshoot for Tarot discussion. I have loved tarot cards for many years now. I was first introduced to them about twenty-five years ago. My mother used to read tarot some, and showed me her deck. Of course, when I told her that I had someone ask me to read cards in their store her comment was "I figured you would do something stupid like that." My mother was not the most consistent person in my life. Anyways, the group started the tarot discussion and I did a write-up on the Fool. I am hoping that I can continue to do this for the whole deck.

Yes, It is ambitious for the person who can't keep up with a daily blog, but I am hoping that the group will inspire me. I also have some other pagan writings I would like to be doing over the next year or so. I have had a lot to think about over the last month. So, without further ado, this is what I have written about The Fool... seems fitting for my project.

Tarot – The Fool

The fool is a starting place in some ways, being the “start” of the deck, so I see it as a reference to beginnings in that aspect. I also see the Fool as a balance in many ways between the general impetuous nature that one would expect from the Fool and the wisdom that is also inherent in the role as well. I think of stories and traditions of the king playing fool for a day in many cultures and the the fool taking the place of the king. In this way, it teaches the king humility and allows them to be closer to his people.

I also think of the Fool in regards to the idea of tabula rasa: a blank slate which is there waiting for knowledge. In accepting that one is a fool, there is a great wisdom for you are able to open your mind and accept more possibilities then if you have preconceived notions.

For the first time as I am writing this I think I am understanding how reversals can be used. I have always had a hard time in the past doing a reading with any reversals because I tried to use the booklet definitions for what the reversals meant and they never made sense to me. As I think about it now, I see that the reversal in the case of the Fool could be a warning to be aware of going too far into the impetuous side of things, or to be open to new ideas (as in the blank slate concept), but do not allow yourself to be lead astray by the “foolishness” of it and to curb impulsiveness and gullibility with wisdom.

Now to actually look at a card and see if I get more impressions from it. I am using DJ Conway and Linda Hunts Fantastical Creatures Tarot. It is a deck I have looked at a little, but never tried to do a reading with, so the impressions are more fresh (in theory, at least). It could prove to be interesting as I look at it, because they are non-traditional images. Things I see that stick out in mind mind when I look at the art: 1) there is a path going off into the distance 2) the beastie that is the main figure is a sort of Quetzalcoatl looking thing that has two snake heads pointing in different directions and it is perched on a tree 3) the grass has pretty red flowers, but the sky is grey and stormy 4) there is a stone wall that has an opening for the path.

My quick breakdown of those various images are 1) a path can represent a journey, be it physical or spiritual 2) the beastie looking in both directions can either be a balance or confusion, like it isn't sure where it is headed 3) while things may look nice, pretty and easy from the serpent that is looking towards the ground, the one that sees the skies knows that there are dangers and things to be cautious of 4) the wall is an obstacle to be passed just as the clouds above are something to be weathered.

Bright Blessings!

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Friday, August 8, 2008

Playing with Blog Theme

So, I have been playing with my blog theme if you folks have been coming here, I think you would have noticed. I know a little html and have edited the code that I got from the Caz's site to add in a couple of things and take some out, but not a huge amount. I would actually like to play around with things a bit more, but some of my concerns with legal images and such.

I have found some places where I can get free pictures, so I can use that. As I like fantasy, it is fairly difficult to get photographs of fantasy creatures and most of the stock art is pretty sub-standard in my mind. So, the question is where to get fantasy or pagan themed art that would not be going against copyright violations if I used it. I actually do care to give credit to other artist where it is due, and wish to also show things that I post here legally as well (imagine that).

Is it strange to be so concerned about these things in this day and age? There are images online that people can download and do download on a regular basis. I do download some art and use if for solely for my own enjoyment (usually just to look at the pictures or as a background on my computer). To the best of my knowledge that is not using it in an illegal manner, as it is not using it publicly or for profit.

Is that line different for artwork then it is for music? I know many people who make music online and it completely free. If you look at many blogs and other forms of writing that people do online, many of them are for free as well. Although, I have heard that there are people that get paid for blogging. That must be rather nice.

I could deal with getting paid for blogging in some ways, I am just not sure if the general populace would find what I write about of any interest. I generally feel that most people don't like thinking much and since I spend a great deal of time ruminating about one thing or another in my posts it would not be of interest to them, but that might be me being cynical or egotistical or both.

I digressed again, didn't I? Where do people draw the line on what is "right" or "wrong" to download from the computer? I am saying if you put aside the laws, what is moral or not? Should Hollywood get paid as much as they do for the movies that they produce? Should popular musicians earn as much money as they do? For that matter should athletes be paid as they are?

Famous athletes often make an average of twenty million dollars a year or more. The highest paid actors can make that much per movie they are in. I have to wonder about people getting that kind of money when we are still people living on the streets and people who have no medical insurance. It makes me really question the whole idea of whether it is wrong to download a movie online when people are getting paid that much and I am living on disability myself.

Should people be denied art, music, movies and general enjoyment because they have a disability that makes them unable to work? It really makes one start to think about morals again. Then there is the whole question about buying a movie on DVD or music on a CD when you think of all of the packaging involved. So, where is the right or wrong?

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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Music in Writing

I have some rather eclectic tastes in music and it can vary from anything from folk and regional music to heavy metal to country to A Capella to Celtic to punk. I also have a tendency to find rather obscure bands that many people have never heard of. Music has always been important to me, as it is a valuable tool for expression. There are some song that are so poignant that they help explain things that I could not find the words for before.

As such, I have often felt the urge to put a few quotes of song lyrics or if nothing else song titles into some of what I am writing. This has me wondering as to the legalities of doing so. I am guessing that just listing a song title and artist would be okay, as I am giving credit to the artist. I am not sure if there are legal ramifications for quoting other lyrics if I also give credit to the artist and keep the lyrics limited.

I think it would be neat to write a book where each chapter was given the name of either a song or the lyrics to a song. Of course, with some of the songs that I know, I could come up with some rather interesting chapter title. As an aside, I am slowly getting nearer to my goal of being able to make a cd with songs with about cows. (no, I don't know why I want to make a cd with songs about cows, but I have some really fun cow songs). If anyone has any cow songs that they can suggest, please let me know.
So, How was that for a digression?

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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

College Admission

Well, went to the college today and filled out my application today. I also took a test to test out of the remedial math class, which I passed (yay me!!), as well as, the same for Writing Fundamentals. That one they need to send to someone to grade it, as a large part of it was writing an essay. It will be scored on composition, comprehension, and grammar, and I will get a pass or fail grade. There was also a brief grammar test that went with it as well. If I was able to take the math test and pass, even though I did not have time to finish it and circled random answers for the last three out of thirty questions, I am pretty confident I scored well enough to pass the writing.

I have had some practice writing recently, which is to my advantage, and my voculary is reasonable. I also had a decent idea about what I was writing about, so that helped. The academic advisor I spoke to seemed impressed that I was ready and willing to take both of the tests right then and there. I might also see if I can CLEP out of the Intro to Internet Technology class. Seeing as I built my own computer, downloaded and use Open Office, and several other programs, and have some skill in making periodicals since I basically taught myself how to do it, I think my IT skills are at or passing basic levels.

So, things I still need to do are go back to Voc Rehab and take their Able Exam and bring back the computer skill form they had for me. I need to send out information to get transcipts from my former schools for the university I am going to. In Mid-August I need to bring in the form with which class or classes I want to enroll in, one class per term is half time, but their terms are short.

Well, the page is coming down for maintenece soon, so I am off for now. Time to pass out from stress ;-)

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