I've just come back inside (about 15 minutes ago) from seeing the eclipse. This one was pretty exciting for me: how often does a full moon eclipse that is visible in your area occur on your birthday? I had seen that the mid-totality would occur at 5:37 AM, but I didn't set my alarm to see it. I thought I would let fate set its own course. As it happens, I woke up at 5:23 from an interesting dream about the eclipse, which saw me going outside into a body of water to help a woman named Diane. After rising, I quietly asked my husband and my son if they'd like to join me. Both declined. My son actually said, "I'm trying to get some sleep!" So I sat alone on the back porch and enjoyed the view of a beautiful, muted red full moon. As I sat, I realized I also had a great view of a lot of constellations. I was able to see Cassiopeia, and my favorites Orion and Taurus, with the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, almost directly overhead. Sirius was just above the horizon winking at me, the old dog.
28 August 2007
10 August 2007
Harry Potter and the Canon
Is Harry Potter becoming a new mythos? Complete author's works are often referred to as their 'Canon of Works.' This has become the case for Harry Potter as created by Jo Rowling. Not only are the books considered canon, but any direct quotes from Rowling herself are considered as well. Basically, anything Rowling says or writes about Harry is 'the truth,' making her, well, the god of her alternate magical world which seemingly coexists alongside ours. It is so easy at times to want to suspend disbelief and imagine that there really is an unseen magical society just down that alley or behind that mountain. It is a story that seems to offer some form of hope that things aren't always as they appear.
This thought originally struck me as possibly similar to the way in which scriptures, and therefore religions, come about. Let's consider the Gospels of the New Testament. In a nutshell, what supposedly happened is that a guy was born of a virgin, stirred up a lot of trouble with his own religion, Judaism, became a problem for the government of the time, the Romans, and performed some miracles and generated followers along the way. This is all clear from reading the New Testament as a whole. What is interesting is how we came to have this Testament. The four gospels as we know them weren't written until about 70 CE, supposedly some 40 years after our hero's death and resurrection. In letters written a bit earlier, Jesus began to become divine with the views of the apostle Paul, who had never even met Jesus. What I like about the gospel stories is how similar they are to other 'Saviour' mythologies. Virgin birth in a cave (stable in later versions,) death for the World's sins, and resurrection. These themes can be seen in the story of Mithras, Krishna, Horus, and various others.
If our hero was an actual person, you can argue that the stories about him were circulating orally for a time until they were written down. But what if the same thing occurred from legends rather than truth? Jo Rowling had the complete story of Harry fully formed in her mind before she ever wrote a word. What if she hadn't written them down? What if there was no such thing as the printing press and mass distribution? Perhaps she would have shared the stories with those closest to her. they would have, in turn, told the stories to others, thereby 'spreading the word.'
A correlation I find fascinating is that of 'fan fiction' and extra-biblical texts. There are numerous such texts hanging around. Some resurface every now and then to stir up some controversy. Currently there is a swirling storm of controversy around any 'Gospels' containing mention of Mary Magdelene. These were all found to be 'heresy' by around 1560 during the Council of Trent, and most of the current New Testament was in place by at least by 382 CE. How did they decide what was 'truth,' or Canon, and what was not? With Harry, fan fiction also abounds. There are stories about Harry's parents and other adult characters when they were at Hogwarts, and stories that fill in gaps that are left in the stories. In Book One, Harry goes from infant to ten years old rather quickly. Included are only a couple of anecdotes from his childhood. Fan Fiction fills in these gaps. Consider also the Infancy Gospel of Jesus Christ with the missing years of the traditional gospels or the books about Adam and Eve's experiences in the Garden of Eden.
In regards to Harry, the seven books are definitely considered canon, but some disagree as to whether additional statements by Ms. Rowling should be as well. It seems to make sense to include her statements, since she is the creatrix. But what about the movies? These present the same story, only slightly different. There is even some major tampering with the plot here and there. This reminds me of four gospels that tell the same story, only with slight differences. Also intriguing about including the movies is that we are now supplied with alternate names for our characters, Harry becomes Daniel, Hermione becomes Emma, and Ron becomes Rupert. Ron is even mistakenly called his alternate name by Professor Slughorn in Book Six, further entwining our two versions of the same story. In other myths and legends around the world, many heroes, heroines, gods, and goddesses are referred to by different names. This sometimes occurs within the confines of the story, for instance when Jacob becomes Israel in the Old Testament. It can also occur when the same story is told, but with different character names as in the case of Gilgamesh and Noah. What if some of these alternate names are indeed those of actual people who played that part in a yearly play or ceremony and did such a remarkable job that their name became synonymous with the character?
I can envision a future several hundred years from now where there is much debate about whether a boy named Harry Potter did exist. Perhaps the meaning of the word 'Novel' will have been lost. Such things do happen. Maybe certain well written fan fiction will be considered 'truth' in regards to the story of Harry. Maybe there will even be an outspoken group of people that influence society and government while waiting fervently for Harry's return so that he may bring tribulation and usher in a new era of peace.
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that I am not a literary scholar nor a religious one. I study these things on my own time for personal interest, and my opinions and ideas are always evolving.
This thought originally struck me as possibly similar to the way in which scriptures, and therefore religions, come about. Let's consider the Gospels of the New Testament. In a nutshell, what supposedly happened is that a guy was born of a virgin, stirred up a lot of trouble with his own religion, Judaism, became a problem for the government of the time, the Romans, and performed some miracles and generated followers along the way. This is all clear from reading the New Testament as a whole. What is interesting is how we came to have this Testament. The four gospels as we know them weren't written until about 70 CE, supposedly some 40 years after our hero's death and resurrection. In letters written a bit earlier, Jesus began to become divine with the views of the apostle Paul, who had never even met Jesus. What I like about the gospel stories is how similar they are to other 'Saviour' mythologies. Virgin birth in a cave (stable in later versions,) death for the World's sins, and resurrection. These themes can be seen in the story of Mithras, Krishna, Horus, and various others.
If our hero was an actual person, you can argue that the stories about him were circulating orally for a time until they were written down. But what if the same thing occurred from legends rather than truth? Jo Rowling had the complete story of Harry fully formed in her mind before she ever wrote a word. What if she hadn't written them down? What if there was no such thing as the printing press and mass distribution? Perhaps she would have shared the stories with those closest to her. they would have, in turn, told the stories to others, thereby 'spreading the word.'
A correlation I find fascinating is that of 'fan fiction' and extra-biblical texts. There are numerous such texts hanging around. Some resurface every now and then to stir up some controversy. Currently there is a swirling storm of controversy around any 'Gospels' containing mention of Mary Magdelene. These were all found to be 'heresy' by around 1560 during the Council of Trent, and most of the current New Testament was in place by at least by 382 CE. How did they decide what was 'truth,' or Canon, and what was not? With Harry, fan fiction also abounds. There are stories about Harry's parents and other adult characters when they were at Hogwarts, and stories that fill in gaps that are left in the stories. In Book One, Harry goes from infant to ten years old rather quickly. Included are only a couple of anecdotes from his childhood. Fan Fiction fills in these gaps. Consider also the Infancy Gospel of Jesus Christ with the missing years of the traditional gospels or the books about Adam and Eve's experiences in the Garden of Eden.
In regards to Harry, the seven books are definitely considered canon, but some disagree as to whether additional statements by Ms. Rowling should be as well. It seems to make sense to include her statements, since she is the creatrix. But what about the movies? These present the same story, only slightly different. There is even some major tampering with the plot here and there. This reminds me of four gospels that tell the same story, only with slight differences. Also intriguing about including the movies is that we are now supplied with alternate names for our characters, Harry becomes Daniel, Hermione becomes Emma, and Ron becomes Rupert. Ron is even mistakenly called his alternate name by Professor Slughorn in Book Six, further entwining our two versions of the same story. In other myths and legends around the world, many heroes, heroines, gods, and goddesses are referred to by different names. This sometimes occurs within the confines of the story, for instance when Jacob becomes Israel in the Old Testament. It can also occur when the same story is told, but with different character names as in the case of Gilgamesh and Noah. What if some of these alternate names are indeed those of actual people who played that part in a yearly play or ceremony and did such a remarkable job that their name became synonymous with the character?
I can envision a future several hundred years from now where there is much debate about whether a boy named Harry Potter did exist. Perhaps the meaning of the word 'Novel' will have been lost. Such things do happen. Maybe certain well written fan fiction will be considered 'truth' in regards to the story of Harry. Maybe there will even be an outspoken group of people that influence society and government while waiting fervently for Harry's return so that he may bring tribulation and usher in a new era of peace.
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that I am not a literary scholar nor a religious one. I study these things on my own time for personal interest, and my opinions and ideas are always evolving.
21 July 2007
11 July 2007
Order of the Phoenix
At midnight last night, I found myself breathless with anticipation in a darkening theater with family and friends. Many people were dressed in wizard gear (myself included), and some in full character costumes. We had a fantastic Mad-Eye Moody and Draco Malfoy in our row. Luckily we had arrived two hours early and gotten our preferred seats. The theater we attended sold out all 18 screens (!), so every seat in the house was filled.
I was pleasantly surprised, right from the start, with how much was taken verbatim from the book. This installment actually did the least twiddling with the plot out of all the movies, in my opinion. There were a couple of notable changes and omissions that disappointed me. However, seeing as Ms. Rowling signs off on the scripts before production, I can only assume that they are unimportant in the long run. It seems that she did insist that one character be put back into the film who was not previously included. Apparently this character will play an important role in Deathly Hallows. My immediate guess when I read about this was that it was Kreacher who must be left in. I then found an article at The Leaky Cauldron quoting the director that confirms my guess, but I can't get it to load properly, so I don't know if this link to it will work.
In short, we all enjoyed the movie a great deal, but we all agree that a second viewing will be in order very shortly. It seems everyone missed quite a bit of the dialogue because of our own laughter and gasps along with those of the rest of the audience. Hopefully our next theater trip will be this Saturday morning.
25 June 2007
Solstice Reflections
The Solstice has passed and the Sun is again waning. It seems that it might be a nice time to check in with myself and see how I'm doing on my resolutions.
1. Blog once or twice a week.
Not going so well... But at least it's more often than before...
2. Exercise more.
This I'm actually doing, if only to fit into my white capris for July 4th.
3. Finish painting and unpacking.
Ummm... I unpacked a few boxes...
4. Meditate.
Maybe if I'd finished unpacking and arranging my meditation area, this might be going better. What am I saying? That's no excuse.
5. Business.
No change really, other than a couple of ideas. Anybody have any recommendations for a good webhost and/or programmer?
6. Complete homeschool by June.
Well, almost - it seems we took an extended Winter Break and are running a little late. Almost done, though. I've told him we're on the Hogwarts schedule.
7. No caffeine.
This I've done, with minimal chocolate even.
8. Buy books.
No problem!
We had a nice theme dinner for Solstice (this seems the simplest way to celebrate, especially if it involves company.) Lots of Sun shapes and colors. My son, of course, helped with all the cooking while we discussed the relevance of the ingredients. He even pointed out that he was remembering to stir clockwise while he mixed the icing for the Sun Cake.
We ate alfresco and enjoyed ourselves until the sun fell below the horizon. Hope everyone else had a pleasant time as the Holly King takes charge once more.
1. Blog once or twice a week.
Not going so well... But at least it's more often than before...
2. Exercise more.
This I'm actually doing, if only to fit into my white capris for July 4th.
3. Finish painting and unpacking.
Ummm... I unpacked a few boxes...
4. Meditate.
Maybe if I'd finished unpacking and arranging my meditation area, this might be going better. What am I saying? That's no excuse.
5. Business.
No change really, other than a couple of ideas. Anybody have any recommendations for a good webhost and/or programmer?
6. Complete homeschool by June.
Well, almost - it seems we took an extended Winter Break and are running a little late. Almost done, though. I've told him we're on the Hogwarts schedule.
7. No caffeine.
This I've done, with minimal chocolate even.
8. Buy books.
No problem!
We had a nice theme dinner for Solstice (this seems the simplest way to celebrate, especially if it involves company.) Lots of Sun shapes and colors. My son, of course, helped with all the cooking while we discussed the relevance of the ingredients. He even pointed out that he was remembering to stir clockwise while he mixed the icing for the Sun Cake.
We ate alfresco and enjoyed ourselves until the sun fell below the horizon. Hope everyone else had a pleasant time as the Holly King takes charge once more.
06 June 2007
Jericho Lives
So, I just got home from work and found this article waiting for me when I got online. I am so happy that they decided to save this series. My family has definitely enjoyed watching Jericho this past year, and it has sparked a lot of discussion about how realistic the premise might be and what really causes people to go to war. We were very upset when we heard that it was to be canceled. I even joined in the ensuing fray myself by e-mailing our displeasure to CBS and by signing an online petition. I stopped short of mailing a bag of nuts to CBS headquarters. I say Nuts! to my friends who told me to give it up.
So now it seems that it is up to the fans to enlist more viewers. I guess that means me. So if you didn't watch this post-apocalyptic drama over the past year, please give it a shot and join in for the second season. The article says that they will rerun the series over the summer and then release season one on DVD in September so you will have a chance to get caught up. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
So now it seems that it is up to the fans to enlist more viewers. I guess that means me. So if you didn't watch this post-apocalyptic drama over the past year, please give it a shot and join in for the second season. The article says that they will rerun the series over the summer and then release season one on DVD in September so you will have a chance to get caught up. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.
19 May 2007
Butterflies
We've just gotten back from our (mostly) annual visit to Scarborough Faire. I'm munching on some lovely cinnamon sugar encrusted pecans from said Faire and thinking about butterflies.
I have always been enamored with butterflies. I practiced catch and release as a child with my trusty butterfly net, and I also used the symbol of a blue butterfly to represent myself in numerous (OK, just three) 'Secret Clubs.' I have butterfly jewelry, butterfly hair pieces, and I'm still looking for copies of particular prints of various butterfly species that I saw once in a model home. And we're currently planning our butterfly garden.
This Spring has been rather good for wildflowers and therefore butterflies. They are everywhere in droves. I have to remind myself while driving that I shouldn't swerve to avoid hitting them. It's been really cool to have them hovering around and landing on us whenever we're outside. I've had three nice experiences with butterflies over the past couple of weeks, and since three of the same type of thing equals a blog post, it's time to share.
#1 - Three weeks ago, we had a family reunion at Lake Whitney. There were, of course, just as many butterflies flying around there as there are around where we live. On the last day, we were all down at the dock after a final boat ride. My son noticed a butterfly that had landed in the lake and couldn't pull itself out because its wings were wet. It struggled for a while and then eventually stopped as it drifted closer and closer to the dock. We thought that it had drowned. When it got close enough, I leaned over the edge and scooped it out of the water and found it was still alive. It rested in my hand for a bit while its wings dried and then took off. Very cool.
#2 - I spotted a butterfly hanging out in the grass in our front yard one day. For some reason I thought I'd try and see if it would climb onto my finger (despite many hundreds of failures attempting the same as a child.) To mine and my son's surprise, it climbed right on. We then noticed that it was having trouble flying as it would go a very short distance and then climb right back onto my hand. We fed it some leftover fruit smoothie and then took it to some nearby flowers. Hopefully it has recuperated.
#3 - Today at Scarborough Faire, there were again lots and lots of butterflies flying around and landing on people. One butterfly took a particular liking to me. It apparently liked root beer. It landed on me, flew around me and then landed in my cup to sip some of the drink clinging to the side. We watched it until it curled its proboscis back up and flew out of the cup. As we were walking from the area, it followed us and continually landed on my hat and my shoulder for quite a bit. It was really grateful for the root beer. Very amusing.
Just call me the butterfly whisperer. :)
I have always been enamored with butterflies. I practiced catch and release as a child with my trusty butterfly net, and I also used the symbol of a blue butterfly to represent myself in numerous (OK, just three) 'Secret Clubs.' I have butterfly jewelry, butterfly hair pieces, and I'm still looking for copies of particular prints of various butterfly species that I saw once in a model home. And we're currently planning our butterfly garden.
This Spring has been rather good for wildflowers and therefore butterflies. They are everywhere in droves. I have to remind myself while driving that I shouldn't swerve to avoid hitting them. It's been really cool to have them hovering around and landing on us whenever we're outside. I've had three nice experiences with butterflies over the past couple of weeks, and since three of the same type of thing equals a blog post, it's time to share.
#1 - Three weeks ago, we had a family reunion at Lake Whitney. There were, of course, just as many butterflies flying around there as there are around where we live. On the last day, we were all down at the dock after a final boat ride. My son noticed a butterfly that had landed in the lake and couldn't pull itself out because its wings were wet. It struggled for a while and then eventually stopped as it drifted closer and closer to the dock. We thought that it had drowned. When it got close enough, I leaned over the edge and scooped it out of the water and found it was still alive. It rested in my hand for a bit while its wings dried and then took off. Very cool.
#2 - I spotted a butterfly hanging out in the grass in our front yard one day. For some reason I thought I'd try and see if it would climb onto my finger (despite many hundreds of failures attempting the same as a child.) To mine and my son's surprise, it climbed right on. We then noticed that it was having trouble flying as it would go a very short distance and then climb right back onto my hand. We fed it some leftover fruit smoothie and then took it to some nearby flowers. Hopefully it has recuperated.
#3 - Today at Scarborough Faire, there were again lots and lots of butterflies flying around and landing on people. One butterfly took a particular liking to me. It apparently liked root beer. It landed on me, flew around me and then landed in my cup to sip some of the drink clinging to the side. We watched it until it curled its proboscis back up and flew out of the cup. As we were walking from the area, it followed us and continually landed on my hat and my shoulder for quite a bit. It was really grateful for the root beer. Very amusing.
Just call me the butterfly whisperer. :)
23 April 2007
A Poem
A friend passed this poem to me today as she thought I would enjoy it. She wrote it a while back after being inspired by a dance she was performing. I did enjoy it and thought it would be nice to share. (Yes I got her permission first...)
Dark Moon Witchery
I'm a witch
With fingers gnarled
Purple walks in my shadows
There's eternal Spring in my stepping
In my mouth the taste of June
In your ears my haunting tune
Airs my cavernous throat hums hallowed
Catch if you can a fatal glimpse
Of all that's forgotten, of all that is lost
I tread darkly nightly through thickening verdure
Claiming my soul as a mytsic sojourner
Come if you will to watch my descent
But do not turn back, do not repent
You too can be lost
If you feel dark arms surround you
Fear not, for that is me
If you feel a kiss like fog
Cringe not, for that is me
And if you wish to know the night
Cry not, come with me
We will swallow the night together
Or failing, swallowed be
by Stephanie WIlling
October 19, 2005
Dark Moon Witchery
I'm a witch
With fingers gnarled
Purple walks in my shadows
There's eternal Spring in my stepping
In my mouth the taste of June
In your ears my haunting tune
Airs my cavernous throat hums hallowed
Catch if you can a fatal glimpse
Of all that's forgotten, of all that is lost
I tread darkly nightly through thickening verdure
Claiming my soul as a mytsic sojourner
Come if you will to watch my descent
But do not turn back, do not repent
You too can be lost
If you feel dark arms surround you
Fear not, for that is me
If you feel a kiss like fog
Cringe not, for that is me
And if you wish to know the night
Cry not, come with me
We will swallow the night together
Or failing, swallowed be
by Stephanie WIlling
October 19, 2005
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