out on the town

Last night I met up with my brother-in-law and the missus after I got out of work. We went out for some pizza in an effort to try that lovely item with soy cheese instead of the real deal. The 'za was a bit of a flop, especially considering that they used obnoxiously overpowering olives (which, by themselves, may have tasted just fine) and overcharged for the dish while forgetting to bring out our appetizer.

The company, however, was splendid. After the dinner we walked (despite my sore quads) and shopped and did the moseying about town thing until we landed in a cafe to sip on chai and a fresh juice cockatil (two separate beverages; not a monster of drink). The chai tasted like dilute ginger tea until the missus came through and added some xtra cinnamon, cream, and sugar. (She is a culinary wizard, FYI.)

That was the second chai of the day for me, and the first one was much tastier. That first one was like cinnamon candy with an extra peppery kick. I loved the warmth and the hot taste--caliente y picante!
Speaking of wizards, I watched Best in Show yesterday and thought it was very funny when Parker Posey's character called another character a wizard for suggesting that she purchase a dog toy from a nearby pet store. I guess you had to be there...

to whet the appetite

Hakim Bey writes in his essay, The Obelisk:

"The Renaissance magi understood that the ancient Egyplian [sic] obelisk was a perfect hermetic form for the dissemination of their hieroglyphic projective semiotics. From the top down it represents (mathematically) a sun-beam; from the bottom up, a lingam. It broadcasts or radiates its text/image complexes therefore both to the light above consciousness itself, and to the unconscious represented by sexuality. From the emblem-books such as the great Hypnerotomachia of 1499 we learn that the hermetic purpose for such monuments would be to call into existence the utopia of desire and the bliss of alchemical union. But the Magi never perfected their deciphering of the hieroglyphs and their utopia remained enclosed within the hermetic landscapes of the Emblems. The notion of the power of the obelisks, however, took root in western consciousness and unconsciousness, from the Napoleonic and British appropriations in Egypt to the Masonic involvement in the Washington Monument.

By contrast to the obelisk of the State, one could imagine a genuinely hermetic obelisk inscribed with magical writing about direct experience of non-ordinary consciousness; its effectiveness would consist of the near-impossibility of its being seen; it might, for example, be sited in a remote wilderness—or in the midst of abandoned industrial decay. It might even be buried. It would be a "poor" obelisk. Rumors would circulate about it. Those who actually found it would perhaps be deeply moved by its mysteriousness and remoteness. The obelisk itself might even have vanished, and been replaced again with a beam of dusty sunlight. But the story of it might retain some power."

Check out the rest at http://hermetic.com/bey/obelisk.html

ah, yes...as i was saying...

To pick up where I left off from this post, the sword as phallic symbol is hardly a semiotic stretch, though, despite its obviousness, it deserves deeper consideration. Whereas the sword may strike some as representative of killing and destruction, it would seem that it would appear particularly this way to those on its receiving end. One wielding the sword, however, may see it as a tool of self-assertion or expression of his/her will, and not merely as a bearer of death. In this sense, the sword is different from Time or the Grim Reaper's scythe. The admantine blade of the Reaper doles out Death, but not necessarily to anyone's benefit; not necessarily in a way that empowers.

The human-wielded sword, however, affirms the integrity and vitality of its bearer. It is thus not merely an instrument of ruin, but also one of sustenence and personal potency. The sword may preserve life. It does not, however, seem to have the power to create it. In this sense, it differs greatly from a phallus proper, yet appears to serve as its useful adjunct.

It is important to note that for as disruptive and violent as phallic symbols may often be, the phallus itself is related to an essentially affirmative principle, namely that of creation and progeneration. The masculine principle is that which animates and organizes the otherwise inert and undifferentiated. Additionally, this animation and organization comes about through the fulfillment of desire (e.g., impregnation). And the active fulfillment of one's desire is virtually synonymous with the actualization of one's will, AKA the assertion of one's self. And in as much as the sword is used to realize one's will and organize the world (as in, say, statecraft), it does play a role in creation of a sort. While at the microcosmic level individual people may fall, a more macrocosmic clan or tribe or nation may rise.

That the pen is mightier than the sword does not detract from that which is outlined above, but rather doubly affirms the pen as phallic symbol, as well. Not only can a pen "create" in a microcosmic sense in terms of committing words or sketches to paper, but its power to influence the psyches of many men raises its influence to the level of macrocosmic organizational power.How does the obelisk fit in to all of this? Stay tuned...

greener grass

Oh, yeah. At the improv music battle I met these horn players who were straight outta Arizona. This, of course, is quite funny because Arizona has become the synchronicity touchstone for me and the missus for nine months or so (no, we did not conceive there). She and I had discussed relocating to escape winter; alas, these lads relocated to escape the summer. A wee mind-blowing reminder that "opposites are true"

navajo sand painting

Last night I attended a wonderful event that I wound up participating in to a greater extent than I had planned. The setup is this: a battle between two groups of musicians who share a rich trove of instruments in an effort to improvise life into song titles as provided by an mc. Points are awarded based upon crowd response which is ostensibly related to how well the performances reflect/convey the spirit of the song titles. I initially attended with the intention of watching and having a good time. Turns out I was able to socialize a bit and get involved in the competition/playing when one of the musicians who had been scheduled to arrive didn't show. What a splendid twist of fate. Yes, I was out later than I had planned (much to the worry of the missus), but I also had a splendid time dusting off my chops and getting in to the zone and teaching the uninitiated the changes to 'hotel california.' The battle ended in a tie score and a big jam involving members from both teams. (You won if you had fun.)

Earlier in the evening, I attended a kung fu sparring class. More than half way through the class, Sifu offers to test students for rank on the spot. Turns out I was the only taker. In addition to what I had expected (demonstrating stances, punches, kicks, etc.), there was also the physical conditioning test. How many pushups can you do in one minute, especially after the sparring class and the first half of the test? How many squats can you do--period? (92 before my vision began to fade...) And, of course, situps in a minute and flexibility tests (with a measuring tape, no less). I pushed myself and it felt great. As one might expect, I am rather sore today.

driving forces

On the way into work today, I thought of a highly-skilled samurai slicing up his opponents with a katana blade, spurting washes of blood upon the battlefield. He disembowled them with the ease and grace of a feather falling to the ground.This got me thinking about swords as phallic symbols and the ambivalence of such symbols throughout human history.
Creation? Destruction? Obelisk? More soon...

So it begins...

At the risk of operating too self-referentially, this is the first post.