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August 4, 2007
Meanwhile, as I did yesterday's journal entry, and scanned through this section's postings from July 28th onward, I read the poem again, and then saw the portrait of Julius Caesar, seeing new things in it:
 Julius Caesar (as portrayed by Ciarán Hind in ROME)
I related this thought back to earlier mentioned concepts of 'rulership in the inner world' and 'rulership in the outer world'. I'm going to quote a couple of paragraphs from Don Webb's _Essential Guide to the Left Hand Path_ to explain those concepts further:
"Rulership of the Inner World means a sense of reality and purpose in what one does. We have all had those moments of power, of knowing that we are alive, and that the world is meaningful. They are rare moments and usually we attribute them to an external trigger, perhaps even a mysterious or divine source. When we discover that we can have those moments _at will_, then we have begun the lifelong task of Rulership of the Inner World. The magical name of this task is the Quest for
Meaning.
Rulership of the Outer World
To me, this means real world accomplishments that we can point to. The first realm is the realm of the unseen potential.
The second is things that can be seen by the 'light of day', ie 'Horus's realm'.
I thought about Julius Caesar, at first as symbol of 'rulership in the outer world', because, after all, he was a RULER. Supposedly to get there, he had to know what to give up in order to get that position. But things did not go well for him, for then he becomes a symbol of absolute NON rulership in the outer world.
When a jury of your peers is ramming you through with spears, perhaps SOMETHING didn't go right?
I suspect it had mostly to do with that 'dictatorship' thing. Dictators are rarely loved by the people.
As I consider Julius' life, it makes me more content to just be a humble seamstress and unknown artist, (though more payola would always be welcome...)
Meanwhile, I do try to determine 'what is good for me'. I like always stretching my mind to learn new things. I had an opportunity to do so today. Julia wanted to go to the library. So keen she was, she went armed with a list of her favorite authors so that she could track down their books. I found myself seated on the roll about step stool, so I could view the DVD offerings that were on the library's lower shelves.
I found four interesting ones. After a yummy meal of pizza and spinach ravioli at Ciao Bella, we went home and saw _Walt, the Man Behind the Myth_. I was curious about Walt Disney, whose vast realm of works he initiated have brought joy to so many.
The movie is a fascinating and intimate look at the man, by the people who knew him best, who were his family members and co-workers. As it played, I took note of the scene section in which Walt was laughing. After the movie was over, I went back to that spot and paused it so I could sketch him:
Further on in the movie, I paused it to take down the words of Ray Bradbury, who said of Walt:
"People often say to me, and I'm sure they said to Walt, 'Are you an optimist?' I say no, I'm not an optimist, I'm an optimal behaviorist. Which means behaving at the top of your energy, and that was Walt Disney. He behaved every day to the top of his energy and that makes a feeling of optimism."
When one does that, it certainly does. Walt never gave up, he always kept pushing his boundaries to try new things, to attempt things no one else had ever done. He had so many realms in which he worked, first the cartoons, then the movies, then the theme parks.
As I searched for the concept of 'optimal behaviorist' on the web, I found Ray Bradbury again, this time in a foreward to a book about Walt, called _Remembering Walt_.
He got to meet with Walt Disney, and they discussed many things:
"So here I was at last meeting Walt and talking with him!
We discussed rapid transit because I had formed a group called PRIME: Promote Rapid Transit Improve Metropolitan Environment. Rapid transit was dying in Los Angeles. They'd eliminated all the street cars--stupid. I told Walt about my group and how I was trying to improve Los Angeles, which was hopeless. I said, "Walt, I wish you would run for mayor."
'Ray," he said, "why should I be mayor when I'm already king!'"
And indeed he was! He had so many realms in which he could bring forth his visions, what did he need with that sort of rulership? Those works done under his aegis have brought delight and wonder and inspiration to perhaps billions of people.
And he's set it up such that continued works of that nature continue. Certainly, that's the best kind of kingship there is!
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