One more thought...you may find the story of Boshier interesting relative to cave art and color. He entered the African bush at age 16 with only a pocketknife and some salt. Learned to survive, became accepted by tribes and academia, changed how anthropology viewed prehistoric man, then died young. The story is in the book called, Lightning Bird.
"It was on the basis of being able to accommodate these early animistic sensibilities, and of being accommodated by them, that Christianity was able to gradually expand its presence in Slavic and Slavo-Karelian vernacular culture. Not that it was ever wholly accepted: while outwardly deflecting the “light” of Christian religion, its nominal adherents carried on with their “pagan” inward existence, perfectly analogous to the “red stallion” that’s inwardly a “green mare.”"
...really broadened my thinking about your earlier discussion of color and light, absorption and reflection...even the dreaded "binary" :-)
I also found you inclusion of the color-blind seeing 'through' the reflection to be thought provoking and a real strong potion for your whole post.
Hi Michael, thank you very much for reading, and for taking the time to leave a few lines of thoughtful commentary. It means a lot to me! I'm glad that this discussion of inversions struck a chord with you. I think I'm happiest when an essay manages to suggest something that readers and fellow writers can extend in their own ways, applying the same themes to their own explorations... And also thank you for pointing me to Lyall Watson's writing. He seems an immensely sympathetic character, so I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for a copy of "Lightning Bird" or anything else of his. Good wishes to you and yours!
This is so fascinating! I love the concept of the four colours fitting into different quadrants. This theme of fours keeps coming up for me in my studies on Magianism but the colours aspect was missing, so this is very helpful!
How interesting — thank you so much for supplying this link to Zoroastrianism. I think it's entirely germane, given how much our northern cultures owe to contacts with Persia and Asia Minor — and certainly to Magian dualism... I'm very glad if this discussion of color applies somehow within your frame of reference. I only wish I knew more about Magian philosophy, but I fear spreading myself too thin... :)
Yes, there are definitely some significant patterns that keep reappearing as I’m delving into the older philosophies and divinities, maybe also from cultural exchanges in the Steppes? Would love to learn more about the older PIE divinities, but as you say, I’m worried about spreading myself thin.
Not at all! I love this so much. I’ll be sharing a few of my findings as I move forward with my Magian tarot deck. Would always love to hear anything that strikes you as familiar (or compelling) when I do. You’re opening up a new world for me and I suppose my instinct is to always look for connections before I begin to also appreciate the differences. I feel like we’re two giddy little witches comparing spell books. 🤍
I see... If you get around to writing about your philosophical pursuits, I would certainly love to learn about that world... It might be, as you say, the "cultural exchanges in the Steppes" that brought the cult of Simurgh northward, giving the Slavs their fire deity Semargl, often appealed to in traditional sorcery. But I don't mean to be "buttonholing" you here — I'm just glad that we can, perhaps, occasionally compare notes on this too.
One more thought...you may find the story of Boshier interesting relative to cave art and color. He entered the African bush at age 16 with only a pocketknife and some salt. Learned to survive, became accepted by tribes and academia, changed how anthropology viewed prehistoric man, then died young. The story is in the book called, Lightning Bird.
Loved it! Found so much to ponder here. This :
"It was on the basis of being able to accommodate these early animistic sensibilities, and of being accommodated by them, that Christianity was able to gradually expand its presence in Slavic and Slavo-Karelian vernacular culture. Not that it was ever wholly accepted: while outwardly deflecting the “light” of Christian religion, its nominal adherents carried on with their “pagan” inward existence, perfectly analogous to the “red stallion” that’s inwardly a “green mare.”"
...really broadened my thinking about your earlier discussion of color and light, absorption and reflection...even the dreaded "binary" :-)
I also found you inclusion of the color-blind seeing 'through' the reflection to be thought provoking and a real strong potion for your whole post.
I'll need to return for more.
Hi Michael, thank you very much for reading, and for taking the time to leave a few lines of thoughtful commentary. It means a lot to me! I'm glad that this discussion of inversions struck a chord with you. I think I'm happiest when an essay manages to suggest something that readers and fellow writers can extend in their own ways, applying the same themes to their own explorations... And also thank you for pointing me to Lyall Watson's writing. He seems an immensely sympathetic character, so I'll be sure to keep my eyes open for a copy of "Lightning Bird" or anything else of his. Good wishes to you and yours!
This is so fascinating! I love the concept of the four colours fitting into different quadrants. This theme of fours keeps coming up for me in my studies on Magianism but the colours aspect was missing, so this is very helpful!
How interesting — thank you so much for supplying this link to Zoroastrianism. I think it's entirely germane, given how much our northern cultures owe to contacts with Persia and Asia Minor — and certainly to Magian dualism... I'm very glad if this discussion of color applies somehow within your frame of reference. I only wish I knew more about Magian philosophy, but I fear spreading myself too thin... :)
Yes, there are definitely some significant patterns that keep reappearing as I’m delving into the older philosophies and divinities, maybe also from cultural exchanges in the Steppes? Would love to learn more about the older PIE divinities, but as you say, I’m worried about spreading myself thin.
Not at all! I love this so much. I’ll be sharing a few of my findings as I move forward with my Magian tarot deck. Would always love to hear anything that strikes you as familiar (or compelling) when I do. You’re opening up a new world for me and I suppose my instinct is to always look for connections before I begin to also appreciate the differences. I feel like we’re two giddy little witches comparing spell books. 🤍
I see... If you get around to writing about your philosophical pursuits, I would certainly love to learn about that world... It might be, as you say, the "cultural exchanges in the Steppes" that brought the cult of Simurgh northward, giving the Slavs their fire deity Semargl, often appealed to in traditional sorcery. But I don't mean to be "buttonholing" you here — I'm just glad that we can, perhaps, occasionally compare notes on this too.