Poesis
“A poet, described in ideal perfection, brings the whole soul of [humanity] into activity, with the subordination of its faculties to each other, according to their relative worth and dignity. [She] diffuses a tone, and spirit of unity, that blends, and (as it were) fuses, each into each, by that synthetic and magical power, to which we have exclusively appropriated the name of imagination. This power, first put in action by the will and understanding, and retained under their irremissive, though gentle and unnoticed, control (laxis effertur habenis [it is carried onwards with loose reins—ed.]) reveals itself in the balance or reconciliation of opposite or discordant qualities: of sameness, with difference; of the general, with the concrete; the idea, with the image; the individual, with the representative; the sense of novelty and freshness, with old and familiar objects; a more than usual state of emotion, with more than usual order; judgment ever awake and steady self-possession, with enthusiasm and feeling profound or vehement; and while it blends and harmonizes the natural and the artificial, still subordinates art to nature; the manner to the matter; and our admiration of the poet to our sympathy with the poetry.” — Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Biographia Literaria Chapter XIV
What a Wonderful Weekend!
Erosophy
As I do most every other Saturday, I enjoyed walking meditation with the Winding Path Sangha. Each time we practice, we conclude by standing in a circle and, should anyone feel called, we bow in and share any thoughts that might have come up during the walk.
After hearing six or seven people share, I felt compelled to respond with some of the thoughts I’ve recently had concerning my worship of Sophia. It would be hubristic, I proclaimed, to assume that with my tiny intellect I could even imagine what Wisdom might look like and, therefore, all I can do is love Sophia for who she is, as she is — participating in dialogue with her, as we’d just done with the wonderful woods in which we’d walked. Philo - Sophia.
As the circle broke up to take off for tea and coffee, a friend walked over and said that, as he listened to my share, he’d thought of how (contra philosophy) erosophy would thus be the attempt to seduce Sophia — to possess her, or simply to lust after her in an frenetic way. This made me think of how Seneca tends to be somewhat apprehensive of certain aspects of sexuality, realizing it can lead to a loss of control — and it made sense that we tend to find the friendly or familial love of philia more appropriate for appreciating her power.
Which makes me wonder …
Have I outgrown Curiosophy?
Do I still need to seek, or have I learned how to love?
(I wouldn’t want to leap to any conclusions. In the meanwhile, I have a lot of research to do on the various forms of Greek love, as well as roughly 150 other topics.)
Strawberry Moon
On Friday night, I underwent a major life transition which resulted in a major psychic shift. I’m not downplaying the role of the famous portent transitioning between Spring and Summer: the Strawberry Moon.
In Service
In related news, I finally unpacked my bedroom in my new place, and have a proper altar set up. After lighting some incense and prostrating, I chanted Om Ah Hung for a series, and then Om Mani Padme Hung 108 times, and fell into a deep meditation. Highly restorative.
Depicted here are (Green) Tara, Y’Shua of Nazareth who is called Christ, the Buddha, Ganesha, a mala, a rosary, and a Tibetan prayer wheel, and much more.
Current Listening
One of my top five favorite bands, Rancid, just released a new album! These are all hard-hitting, short ones with great hooks for choruses. Nothing on Tomorrow Never Comes is longer than 2.5 minutes. Pure bliss.
Please Give Me Money
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With much affection, and a great deal of appreciation —
Aaron