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I remember other days in which this sight has cheered me, a bright spot in a gray day.
6:37pm
Orderly chaos?
I know someday the lure of a perfectly (or close enough to it) ordered and all in one domain journal will appeal to me.
I really do like the idea of being able to upload everything from a disk or hard drive onto the domain and having it work perfectly. Order will call me, it will...
Monday, March 19, 2007
"Emergence"
10:36pm
In between happy anticipation of upcoming travel plans, I gave thought to what to do with the journal. I took a look at the 'ancient' archives from 1998, and I'm not sure who that girl was who wrote those. I know it was me, but they feel rather distant. So I thought further on the journal move, and came to a logical conclusion. I changed the journal's name in 2005 from 'Weighty Matters' to 'Tasting Life Twice'. So a natural divide seems to be 2005. I will move everything from January 2005 over to joanlansberry.com, calling those archives 'Tasting' and let everything older remain at aztriad.com hold the original 'Weighty' name.
But I don't have to hurry on this. I removed enough stuff from aztriad.com that at least it doesn't bog. Does it help that I make plea to the 'Emissary of Thoth' when I click on the aztriad folder? I don't know, but I do it just in case.
After making progress on my journal move plans, I caught up with some of other's journals who are among my favs, and then took time for a spontaneous drawing:
I like this one. That's also what Julia said when she saw it. Maybe it would be enhanced by coloring.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
"Poem Revisited"
10:13pm
We made another happy visit to Hastings, thanks to a monthly Mensa event. The folksinger was there again and entertained us as we chatted with another Mensan. However I cannot go there and come home empty handed. I bought three CDs, an acoustic Putamayo featuring women musicians, the Rob Thomas album with Street Symphony (apparently 'Small Wonders' is on another album) and the Sting album of John Dowland tunes. We heard that one on the TV and both Julia and I loved it. It's playing now, truly lovely. His low and raspy voice brings something unique to it that the typical 'Opera voice' doesn't.
Some favorable words on my poetry inspired me to have another go at the poem which frustrated me:
You Bid Me Wear the Crown:
A Poem to Set
I leave the gnarled streets,
I wander alone until I come to
sparse sands and spiky trees
and come to find you in the desert,
far away from the buzzing crowds in the cities,
and behold your majesty.
Thundering loudly on the hilltop,
you proudly shout, declaring
your existence.
Did they cast you out,
or did you favor these baked lands?
You reign still and as I look further
I find a sweet oasis and kind shade from the sun,
as I seek audience with you.
You gaze upon me
with eyes both fierce and gentle,
and a hint of a smile.
Power is your domain,
your pulse, your joy of being,
not random, uncontrolled, but held within.
There is a look in your eyes of recognition
as you hand me a scepter
bearing your likeness.
I take it and feel tingling power.
From my hand, I then feel changes
that permeate my entire being.
You strengthen my spine.
and give volume to my voice.
Diaphragm grows muscle
and I can throw my words far.
You smile with pride
as you look upon me,
and lock eyes with me,
bid me know that pride,
joy of my coming into being.
What secrets you teach me,
I may not speak of,
but oh, the dance is lovely,
as we whirl around.
Such fierce rejoicing on this exultant night,
and triumph!
JAL, 3-20-2007
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I salvaged a few parts of the old poem, a few remnants worth saving. (Not that the 'unoriginal' translated Egyptian phrase quotes weren't 'worth saving', it just works better with all my original words.) I like this one MUCH better!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
"Computer Troubles"
7:39pm
"This is just so crazy," Julia uttered as she searches for what went wrong with my computer. We had taken an upgrade of Spyware Doctor and something it did totally trashed my computer. Something it did now forbids contact with the internet. I am typing on Julia's computer, and dearly wish I had at least taken a recent backup. It may still let me, perhaps only activities that have to do with internet access are forbidden.
Julia's trying to do everything she can to fix it. She found something called 'system restore' that may save it. I will report more later.
8:03pm
I'm back on my own computer. The system restore worked. Julia's joking that the 'Spyware Doctor' was being so effective that it was making sure I could not ever get a virus by totally preventing web access period. We don't know. Maybe I didn't follow upgrade instructions properly. But it's been fixed. "I feel a lot better now!" Julia exclaimed. I agree!
And now I'm going to make that backup!
10:43pm
What work making that back up! They say you can get 702MBs on a disk, but I don't see how. I was continually told 'too much K', and I kept cutting back and retrying. But finally I have back ups of at least the most important items. While waiting impatiently for the back up processing, I did crossword puzzles and earlier, this drawing:
'Worker Bee' hums along on a computer, 'only good when they work'.
A computer that doesn't work is rather useless. I'm glad I got through the evening with as few 'cross' words as I did.
Friday, March 23, 2007
"Refreshing Rain"
4:28am
I'm up early, I don't know why. A restlessness is within me? I was looking at the Photo Friday's . Sentimental is the theme. Hm, what shall I pick? Maybe an old Christmas one of cutesy things...
...Yes, I chose this one, for it is full of sentimental things, I like Christmas deco for sentimental reasons, and also I'm in the pic being sentimental taking the picture. I like the fun of window reflections in addition...
...Rain! Do I hear rain?
Yes, it is, and it is worth being up early to catch the rarity. I went out on the porch, listened to the soft sounds of it
gently falling, put out a hand to catch a drop and inhaled deeply. The air is so fresh.
Sunday, March 25, 2007 A
"Lady With Hat"
3:42pm
After what seems a long time, it sure feels good to get back creating artwork. My current journal feels neglected after all that tedious webwork. But I think the move is done now. (The clean up will take a long time, but the moved pieces are in their new home, and after two checks, all linkage seems to be working.)
I'm pleased to have it this way. It is most logical to have the division be right when I renamed the journal from 'Weighty Matters' to 'Tasting Life Twice'. Thus it is, everything from
August 20, 2005 onwards is over at joanlansberry.com, while everything prior remains at aztriad.com.
What the significance of the lady with her strange hat is, I'm not sure. She looks happy to be wearing it, though. Last night at the 'Animal Wine Safari' I felt quite stylish in my hat. I fit right in!
Me in my hat...
Quite a few people wore safari type items, things vaguely tribal, or at least very colorful. Some young dancers gave their all in enthusiastic tribal inspired dances. It was a fun night. I did not over imbibe, knew when to say when, even though there was over twenty different drinks to pick from. I most liked Dow's Trade Mark Port from Portugal. "Ruby rich in color. On the nose packed with rich and concentrated strawberry fruit and hints of spices. One the palate, full fruit flavors with a long slightly dry finish." So says the brochure, anyway. That stood out possibly because it was the only port among so many delicious wines, many of them from Australia. Nearly everything I tested met with approval, but I didn't think much of a 'Raw Tea' concoction that was neither 'fish nor fowl' to a real tea lover like me. I like my booze to taste like booze and my tea to taste like tea!
Sunday, March 25, 2007 B
"Colorful Lady With Hat"
10:31pm
Monday, March 26, 2007
"Peaceful Suti"
10:54pm
I discovered an aspect of Google tonight that allows one to have full view of older texts no longer considered in the copyright preventions. Thus it was I discovered a book from 1901 called 'Egyptian Literature' put out by the 'Colonial Press' with a special introduction by Epiphanius Wilson, A.M.
So I scanned through its 429 pages hoping for something of interest. I came across an item from the Papyrus of Nu (British Museum No. 10, 477, sheets 19 and 20), titled Of Being Nigh Unto Thoth. The chancellor Nu is preparing to have his soul weighed and to receive 'glory' in the underworld. As part of his declarations, he asserts, "I have made Suti to be at peace with me by means of offerings made to the god Aker and to the Tesheru deities, and by [making] reverance unto Seb."
Suti, I knew, is an alterative name for Set, along with Sutekh, Setekh, and Sut
. But who is Aker, the Tesheru deities and Seb? I did not find out about the Tesheru deities, but I did learn some things about Aker and Seb. These are very primordial deities. From Wikipedia I learned, "In Egyptian mythology, Aker (also spelt Akar) was one of the earliest gods worshipped, and was the deification of the horizon. There are strong indications that Aker was worshipped before other known Egyptian gods of the earth, such as Geb."
Aker is a god of boundaries, the borders between each day, and two lions became his symbols, "one representing the concept of yesterday (Sef in Egyptian), and the other the concept of today (Duau in Egyptian)." The Wikipedia article explains further:
"As the Egyptians believed that the gates of the morning and evening were guarded by Aker, they sometimes placed twin statues of lions at the doors of their palaces and tombs. This was to guard the households and tombs from evil spirits and other malevolent beings. This practice was adopted by the Greeks and Romans, and is still unknowingly followed by some today."
Might this also apply to chairs? We have an antique chair with lions at each armrest.
Meanwhile, who is Seb? Seb is another name for a god more often known as Geb:
"Amongst the group who believed in the Ennead, a form of Egyptian mythology centred in Heliopolis, Geb (also spelt Seb, and Keb) was the personification of the earth, and indeed this is what his name means - earth, and thus it was said that when he laughed, it caused earthquakes. Since the Egyptians held that their underworld was literally that, under the earth, Geb was sometimes seen as containing the dead, or imprisoning those not worthy to go to Aaru.
In the Ennead, he is the husband of Nut, the sky, the son of the primordial elements Tefnut (moisture) and Shu (dryness), and the father to the four lesser gods of the system - Osiris, _Set_, Isis, and Nephthys."
I found it interesting that a Hymn of Geb is very similar to one of Nu/Nun. Nu/Nun is of the Ogdoad, as opposed to Geb of the Ennead.
The Hymn of Geb says:
Behold, I rejoice on my standard, on my seat.
I am the creator of darkness,
making his place in the limits of the sky,
the ruler of infinity....
The earlier mentioned 'Literature' book features more from the Papyrus of Nu, in which the god Nu/Nun speaks:
"I am the first born god of primeval matter, that is to say, the divine Soul, even the Souls of everlastingness, and my body is eternity. My Form is everlastingness, and is the lord of years and the prince of eternity. [I am] the creator of the darkness who maketh his habitation in the uttermost parts of the sky..."
The 'creator of darkness' is father to Set, and thus it is that Set is pleased (and peaceful) by offerings made to this primeval power.
(I made a pdf of these items.)
Thoughts in the morning, March 27, 2007
6:06am
So I'm pondering this 'Ennead', and wondering, "Where's HORUS?" It gets difficult because in different times and places, different gods are emphasized. I'm thinking, "Okay, we have the 'creator of darkness', and the 'first one (princeps) of darkness, _Set_, but where is that 'first one of light'? A little reading, and it is revealed, "Though worship of Ra was very widespread, his cult center was in Heliopolis, the home of the Ennead that he was thought to be the head of as Atum." Heliopolis means "City of the Sun", so this is showing the importance that was given to the light deity, in THIS REGION, "City of the Sun". "In later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra was subsumed into the god Horus, as Re-Horakhty." There is the Ennead creation myth, and also the Ogdoad creation myth. "In the version of the Ogdoad creation myth used by the Thoth cult, Thoth created Ra-Herakhty, via an egg, and so was said to be the father of Neferhor,"('Beautiful, good Horus'). In the Ogdoad cosmogony myth, Thoth gave birth to Ra, Atum, Nefertum, and Khepri by laying an egg while in the form of an ibis, or later as a goose laying a golden egg.
So there you have it. It depends on whatever time and region and who's in favor that becomes 'the original creator god'. It's not an 'exact' science.
In my intuitive understanding, which sees Set as the one of Power, he did not 'create the darkness', it was already there, and he arose from it. According to a Pyramid text Thoth came forth from Seth, as a result of 'relations betweeen Horus and Seth' (Seth, God of Confusion, page 39, by Te Velde.) "As we have seen, Horus and Seth are not usually imagined as working together in concord. The two combatants bring forth the god of peace. He appears and places himself between the two gods, thereby interceding in the struggle..."(Page 45)
So in my Setian understanding, it is Set first, the 'first one of darkness', full of power. From this power, light arises forth out of darkness, and Horus is born. They squabble, and necessity brings forth Thoth, the reconciler.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
"The Meeting Room"
11:38pm
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