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A Little Honest Labor
2010-01-20

Another year, another tarot card. Justice, number eight in the major arcana, revealed a lot to me in its making. First off, I learned an odd little fact about the tarot. Turns out that three of the four cardinal virtues are represented in the tarot, justice, temperance, and strength. However the fourth, prudence, was mysteriously left out of the deck (or lost in translation as the deck grew and spread.) Either way, I find it appropriate that caution, wisdom and prudence are not considered exactly part and parcel to having one's fortune told with a pack of cards. (For whatever reason Crowley, in his Thoth deck, disses both strength and temperance, changing them to lust and art respectively, leaving justice as the lone virtue.)

More importantly some of the real importance of building one's own deck, or shall I say some of the real benefits of doing this, were made more apparent to me. In exploring each card, I've had to explore myself, since these cards are supposed to represent their subject matter as it best relates to me personally. With cards like the Fool and the Magician, my understanding of the card and what I wanted from it appeared complete in my head practically a priori. Part of this was the thrill of the project, and part, of course, related to my own love and experience with these cards juxtaposed on top of my own fantasies about my own nature.

As I've moved forward, I've begun to encounter cards I have very little prior personal relationship with. What is 'Justice' to me, as represented and explored in the card? My understanding of this card was pitiful compared to my knowledge of cards like the Fool or the Hermit. And arguably part of this was that very little attempt has been made on my part to explore those aspects of myself which relate to that card's nature and message. In a reading, (especially one you're doing for yourself) its very easy to gloss over cards you don't much care about (one of the reasons self readings are typically discouraged.) However, when building your own cards, its much harder to honestly ignore a card that way. And so in building some of these cards, I've achieved my first real relationship with them, which can only serve to enhance my ability to use and understand my deck (or any deck,) effectively.

And so, Justice!

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A Month Short and Fifty Thousand Words LONG (Like My Co..)
2009-11-30

Not that I've been great about updating regularly to begin with, but this month I was, obviously, extremely awful! I do, at least, have what I consider a half decent excuse this time.

Will write more later, but I am flush burned OUT on that right about now.

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Up In Arms, Cemetery Version
2009-11-03

Today, I went biking down to the Fayetteville National Cemetery, which is a rather nice place, an historic monument, a civil war cemetery, part of the public trust. It's a place I like to visit from time to time. I won't say that I'm exactly reverent, but I do like to muse and ponder the whole nature of the dead buried there, specifically in relationship to military service, especially in relationship to the civil war. I keep quite, to myself, don't cause any trouble, show respect.

Today, however, a car pulled up behind me and honked its horn. A middle aged woman got out when I stopped and walked up to me, a cemetery employee. Sternly, she asked me if I was visiting a relative. I replied that no, I was just sight seeing. She explained that the cemetery was not a bike trail and that she'd let me 'sight see” today but if I were to return she'd make it, and I quote, “bad for me.”

Now, I understand that people can be a little protective about the dead or, more importantly, their irrational bullshit faux spiritual concepts like the idea that somehow a bicycle is more “disrespectful” of the dead than, say, a car. I am also well accustomed to the condition that 99 out of any 100 people, handed the slightest illusion of authority, will use it to the least beneficial or intelligent degree possible. Still, this was simply idiotic. There was no possible harm done to the cemetery or, “the dead.” As a national historic landmark the cemetery is mine to visit, and I don't need a dead relative there to justify it. Her reaction was one built purely on an irrational, control freak mentality.

I've been looking around for any rule that might suggest that either a: the public isn't welcome at their leisure or b: that bicycles were somehow forbidden. Nothing. Just another example of a pointless bureaucrat with no idea what to do with the actual responsibilities she should be focusing on. And this ridiculous idiot, this half assed civil servant, has the audacity to get in my way.

Fortunately, I am no longer powerless! With a better grasp of my local government along with my public access producer's license, I can now make things “bad” for her in an entirely legal way! Finally, I can be one of the people griping endlessly to the city council about things they don't want to hear! Finally I can have a focused, specialized issue to write endless letters to the editor over. And while I am tongue-in-cheeking my reaction, I do not consider it an overreaction. Heading off this moronic kind of 'public service' is an important aspect of maintaining the power of the citizenry, especially in this 'post 9/11 environment” where officials are overeager to take it all away. Fight the retarded halfwit illusion of the power!

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Thicker
2009-10-05

I'm happy to announce that after a way too long hiatus I have finally finished my latest creative commons music review over on my opensalon site. The Diablo Swing Orchestra, a Swedish metal band that has caught my attention!

I was reading Bukowski's women outside of the bar as I worked the back door Saturday night. Some random college student wanders by, drunk, and squints at the book.

"Watcha reading?" he asks.

I reply, "Women."

"Oh," he says, and pauses. He squints at it again, then says, "I woulda thought it would be a lot thicker than that," and wanders off.

Hilarious!