Well, I am truly on this journey. I totally buy into the idea of synchronicity. I experience it all the time. I’ve moved ahead to the first exercise, which is to ask the Universe for signs. Every time I venture outside, something comes to me. A leaf lands in my lap. Pine cones call from the pavement. Winter light comes streaming through a fence and makes for a gorgeous photograph.
I am a fan of Robert Moss but find him hard to read because I keep going down rabbit holes. He mentions Yeats and I’m off to read poetry, for example.
I had already acquired this book for myself before the read-along was announced. It will be fun to share my impressions with you all.
As for the three stories, they all ring true. I like the squirrels especially. For me, it’s crows and frogs.
I am already at peace with synchronicity in my life. I don’t NEED this book. But I intend to enjoy it.
A podcaster I listen to once discussed his spiritual style as a hopeful agnostic, or someone who currently doesn’t believe, but is hopeful or wishful that there is something greater out there. This is the style I felt that I was bringing to this book. I would call myself a hopeful synchronist, maybe? Hopeful sign finder? Hopeful oracle? The thing I was most afraid of going into this book was getting absolutely nothing out of it and letting my brain think “boo, whatever” to all the woo-woo stuff. This isn’t how I want to think. I want to be inspired by the universe. I want to feel magic and synchronicity. I was happy when, upon reading the first chapter, a few ideas hopped off the page at me.
First, within the story of the young advice seeker, Moss discussed meeting the man in The Firkin and Fox Pub at the Dulles airport. My family and I had visited and enjoyed the Michigan location before it closed. This caught my eye as a first signal that I should continue on with an open mind and not get caught up in the rationality of it all.
Second, the premise of kairomancy is really exciting. What an amazing thing to experience. I’ve actually never seen Interstellar, but have heard numerous times, the adaptation of the main theme in my son’s marching band show this past fall (sign #2 to stay hopeful?). It seems that there are some amazing concepts in the movie and maybe I should watch that as well. I’ve definitely experienced feelings of déjà vu and “record scratch” moments, where things seem to align in strange ways, but I’m not sure that I would have called them kairomancy in the past. So, I’m excited and extremely hopeful that this book and its exercises will help foster an awareness to these moments and a greater recognition of their deeper meanings.
Third, kledons. Oh, overheards, you are some of my favorite things. Again, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them truly as messages from the universe so much as just entertainment for my imagination. Perhaps that is not the message I deserve, but the message I need. Intriguing!
Finally, the quote “You will not find magic in your world unless you carry magic within you.” This I do believe. I haven’t shared with anyone yet that we’re reading this book, just that we’re reading a book. I’m not sure I could survive the pragmatic lambasting that I am sure I would get (you were very brave, Amy!). I’d like to be more confident in my “Hopeful Shamanism” (?) and maybe have a solid example, before throwing that to the logic lovers in my life (I am not that brave).
Rebecca - I really appreciate this thoughtful and honest comment….. a really careful assessment of where you are and where you want to be (or what you are hopeful about). I have to say, somehow I got chills when I read the comment about you having been at the Firkin and Fox location (and seeing that as a sign of sorts). Wow. That there were three moments in this chapter for you that helped reinforce your decision to read is pretty awesome. I also found interesting that you haven’t told anyone what you are reading. That definitely says something. But, maybe it will be something you explore privately and don’t risk external judgement on for now. And that’s okay! So glad you are reading along. (By the way, did I already mention to you a book that was recommended for anyone who enjoyed Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow?)
I love your comment. I think it speaks to something so many people grapple with. I find the braveness in the attempt not just the execution. I enjoy how openly honest and confiding you are here. Thank you for sharing.
On the spectrum of being open to symbols around us, I come from the Joseph Campbell’s "the power of myth" camp. There are compelling reasons behind why so many cultures value the same types of myths, characters, and symbols.
In reading this book, I am looking for a reason to look and pay attention in my everyday, a way to gameify or focus observation and hone storytelling. I like thinking of archetypal myths and symbols overlayed on the context of every life.
What jumped out at me in the three example stories were the connections with strangers as part of the portent, whether fleeting (the "kill us both" and Yeats fan ) to profound (the individual in need of counsel).
Thank you for commenting, Lauren. I may have to go and read up on “the power of myth” as a framework. I think your comment about the three example stories is quite interesting as an observation. I wonder how that will play out as we move forward. I also love, of course, your gamification comment. I think there is some of that inherent in thinking of this as an approach. Maybe that mellows as it becomes more ingrained. Looking forward to reading with you.
I believe the power of myth was a documentary series first - of interviews or something, with the book being released as companion content. That may have been how I first came across it, I recall Joseph Campbell was an enigmatic character in the series. There was a whole private “university” or institute or something in Santa Barbara dedicated to Campbell’s teachings, maybe it was just kind of in the local community when I was at UCSB.
It was fun to read through your comments. A few insights I hadn’t even thought of. So, that’s going to be a fun part of the read along!
As I mentioned before when Amy suggested this book, I am firmly in camp woo-woo. I have been my whole life, but my mother’s side of the family has always discussed things like this as being signs or synchronicity. Although, I’m not sure we gave it the formal name until a few years into talking about them. When we mention them to each other it has always been ‘let me tell you about a woo woo I had the other day.’
My only skepticism comes when everything becomes a sign. I don’t know how to explain it more than ‘sometimes a feather is just a feather, birds lose them all the time.’ Although, if you constantly ask the universe to send you feathers and you find them in odd places, well.... Have I mentioned I am good at playing the devil’s advocate. (Maybe not the best analogy if one believes signs come from a higher place.)
As for the author’s stories, I just nodded in agreement. He has the benefit of being able to recognize the conversations and instances and put them into his narrative. This makes me ponder how many signs I miss.
Looking forward to continuing reading with you all. And thanks again to Amy for recommending the book and getting us all together.
I totally understand the back and forth feeling, devil’s advocate, even with your family grounding and acceptance. (I love that you have that!) I think it’s good to self-assess this way. I also love that you all reclaim woo-woo and use it positively in talking about these things. Your “a feather is sometimes just a feather” is perfect..... that pinpoints something I’ve been thinking. That’s exactly it. That lens is one I will definitely be holding.
I think the author’s stories, for me, were ones I might not have really found meaningful (other than the Firkin and Fox one). What struck me is how we will each find meaning in things that others look at and say, “a feather is just a feather.” Wondering what signs we miss is something someone else expressed, and I think that’s a fascinating question. If we don’t look, we don’t see.... what are we missing?
You know what I love about you, Amy, is that you are capable of finding gems in everything that multiple people say. That is a horrible sentence, but I hope you catch the meaning. I should had just said, “I appreciate you!”
Not a bad sentence at all.... and I appreciate this (and that you see this) more than you know. I’m heading out for the day and will catch up on other comments later, but I saw these words and wanted to say thank you. Truly.
I'm firmly in camp woo woo, Kelley. And I completely understand your "sometimes a feather is just a feather". It's very true. My take is that the feather has as much or as little meaning as we each give it in the moment. If I see it as a sign from the universe, then it can be. It becomes one because I make it one, using the magic I carry inside me, as Robert Moss says. Today, a feather could be just what I need to guide me and send me the message that I need, but tomorrow it's just another feather that I barely even see as I stroll by. The feather is the same, but I'm different. The noticing is the key, and the message I see within it in the moment.
I'm glad you're here, Kelley, and I can't wait to see what we think as this read along continues!
I totally agree with you about the ‘feather is the same, but I’m different.’ That is a much better way of thinking about than my jaded statements! Haha The noticing is definitely the key. (I’m going to write your quote down in my book.)
I just came upon this and the way you write, the way you move through the words… the way you reveal and question and allow vulnerability make me want to get this book and join in, maybe find my way back to serendipity and synchronicity and the rhythm of magic.
i’ve definitely had many powerful experiences with synchronicity, and there have been times where I have felt out of alignment with it as well. I am looking forward to cultivating more awareness to the messages around me and being more aligned with inviting them in and listening.
Thank you so very much for your comment and your notes on the writing. Your comment is beautiful and means a lot to me. I hope you do see if this book is available to you.... maybe finding this post was somehow a nudge that this is a rekindling that is fitting for you in this time. I would love to have you read along.
I'm Team Woo Woo! What struck me about this chapter is the story about the airport pub. He talked about his travel being delayed and sort of accidentally (on purpose?) winding up at this pub seated next to a young man that really needed his advice in the moment. I'm very structured and I plan and schedule and when things don't work out the way I expect them to, I tend to collapse and feel angry and frustrated. I struggle to go with the flow and let things unfold naturally. It's something I've been working to overcome and I've made strides, but I have more work to do.
So my first thought was....if my travel was delayed I'd be in a very bad mood and I'd never be able to pull off a friendly conversation with a stranger in need. The story about walking the dog in the night was the same for me. I think being an overplanner cuts me off from the serendipitous possibilities that are out there. I'm really hoping this book can help me to see everyday mishaps as opportunities for something special as opposed to a fly in my ointment and a cause for frustration. If I can get better at that, I'll feel like this book was totally worth reading.
But I also know I'm going to love it anyway, and I'm eager to keep reading.
Thanks, Amy, for setting this all up - I know it's a lot of work. And I appreciate all of these wonderful comments, too!
This is an interesting angle on the chapter and how it resonates for you, Trish! The relationship to being flexible and adaptable in the moment and what that flow can lead to is certainly an intriguing way to think about this in your case. I am glad you are reading along, and I wish you a week of serendipity.
I struggle with these same feelings. One year my new years mantra was “I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing” even if the car had a flat, or I was stuck in traffic, or doubling back somewhere because I forgot something, or a kid forgot something. It really shaped my year and mental habit to reroute my frustration at inefficiencies to instead looking for positives or whatnot.
I ordered my book late and just received it-- just finishing chapter 1 this evening.
I am not in camp Woo-woo, but I’m not completely to the other side of the spectrum either. Somewhere in the middle, but hopeful to open up my awareness to signs. I have to start with my world-view lens of having grown up in a Christian church, and still a believer. But I don’t think this means I’ll poo-poo all the ideas. There are things I’ve paid attention to that I feel like come from God--others might say there’s a higher power at work or it’s the universe speaking. I respect that.
I’ve been kind of uncomfortable with knowing what I was getting myself into until I read his 3 stories. After that section I thought,”Okay, I would think those were God arranged scenarios” if they had happened to me. So already, I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time with the book. If something doesn’t resonate with me, that’s okay. But I bet many of the ideas will strike a chord.
My December serendipitous moment: after school got out, but before Christmas Day, I was taking some odds and ends back up to my classroom, which is in my church building. I really meant to get to that errand the previous afternoon. I drove up to the back door nearest my classroom, got out and heard the gas meter hissing--loudly! So I went to the church office and talked with the secretary and we were able to get the gas company to come out right away. Apparently the lawn service had just been there--within 5 minutes of me driving up!--and hit the meter with a ride-on mower. The specifics seemed incredible--because you can’t see the meter from the office, no one was going to be at the church for services for days, leaking gas can be so dangerous.
I like to see connections like that. My grandmother noticed connections. We both had Deja vu moments, but also both took our religion seriously. So that’s where I’m at as I start the book! Thanks for listening and looking forward to connection with others through the book. Thank you, Amy!
I am really glad to read your comment, Jen, and I am glad that you raised these issues. First, I am sorry you even started to feel uncomfortable. I would never want that! Second…. I really appreciate your openness. I agree that I think many of these issues, the signs, symbols, and moments of coincidence that seem “more” than coincidence can be interpreted within our own systems of belief. Having something like the leaking gas moment be detected, when it might not have been, is a great example….. God, the universe, or something else….. I do think we each interpret based on our context and history. I am sensitive to these issues and want everyone to be comfortable reading and thinking about what comes up. (I love your connection with your grandmother, too.)
What I keep thinking about is being present. So many of us, myself included, are walking around in a trance-totally caught up in our minds, reliving the past or thinking and worrying about what’s to come. When we’re in this state, we are not very likely to experience synchronicities, or to be aware that they might be occurring. Driven to distraction by our devices and recursive thinking, we’re cut off from our connection to the natural world and to any signs or messages that might be available to us if we were able to be in our bodies and connected to our senses.
I have had many experiences with the non-rational and believe in synchronicities and messages from the universe. Those things give me hope. At the same time I can get so caught up in mental gyrations and recently, incessant worry, that I lose touch with that part of myself. I’m hoping that re reading this book will encourage me to shift my focus just enough so that I can be more open to the possibility of connections.
On another note, reading about your experience, Amy, of the Xmas lights coming on, I have been having something similar happen. My TV has been turning on at odd times, sometimes in the day, sometimes in the middle of the night. It’s extremely disconcerting when it comes on at night so I’ve been turning the volume off before I go to bed in case it comes on! The weird thing is, when I go to turn it off, it’s not at the regular log on screen. It’s on the”Pluto” channel, which I have never watched. Nor does Pluto TV ever come up when I go to turn on the television. The first time it came on was in the daytime on my birthday this year, after I had spent a couple of hours working on an altar for my sister, who had taken her life the year before. Since Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld I started wondering if I was getting some kind of message from my sister. I know it sounds crazy, and there are probably rational explanations as to why the TV would be turning itself randomly on, but I do find it thought-provoking.
Adah - I agree with you about how apt we are to walk around, so caught up in our heads, that we just don’t notice what’s around us. That has been a persistent awareness for me through the years… a repeated emphasis on looking and seeing. This book definitely brings that to the forefront, and I hope you do find that you get just the bit of shift you are needing to help you reconnect with that awareness and to see connections. ….. As for the TV…. Wow! I can see how startling that must be. (Very good thinking to turn the volume off.) I know the lights were unsettling….I can imagine the TV being even moreso. The station…. The threads of connection to your sister…. So much there to think about.
Hi again, I am not sure where to post if I should be here at week one because I’m on chapter 1 or if I can should be current in the comments. Sidewalk oracles arrived. I began the first chapter over a bowl of soup and I finished it over brownies.
Our first synchronicity came on day, one, at the mention of the fool, which came up during a mythic Storytelling Workshop where archetypes were embodied.
I’ve been reminded now of synchronicities, which is something that is woven in an out of my life. I am often on the lookout for magic and try to track my magic moments from each day.
my first chapter is marked up with highlight underlined in notes in the margin. I love that he says “we are less interested in how and why things work then that they do work.” I find that in out culture, we are too often put in the position of having to prove ourselves constantly. This detract from the joy of life for me personally. One of my personal messages of guidance that I have received has been “you do not have to convince anybody of anything.“ I’m still working on embodying this.
I also received a synchronicity at the end of the chapter just as I had at the beginning. On page 16, he writes, “coaching pythons to speak and perform.” I have 16 stories in progress, which I pick up and put down from time to time, depending on my mood, and two days ago, pulled out a story which I began editing this morning, coming across the line, “Plume Howler was fond of snakes. In fact, he found snakes to be some of the most magical of creatures.”
I am glad your book arrived! It is fine to comment with each weekly reading section.... that puts your comment in the context of my notes and the comments left by other readers. So this seems perfect! I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter. It sounds like you received several indicators (moments of synchronicity) that suggest this is a good reading for you! I think the message you are holding (“you do not have to convince anybody of anything") fits nicely with the mindset we need to have for this reading, too..... I love hearing that you have all of those stories in process, too.
This first chapter is reminding me a lot of a TV series I really enjoyed - Hellier . Lots of synchronicity in that series! .... Reminding me to open myself to the signs as well
I hadn’t hear of Hellier before, Melissa. Thanks for the mention. I think reminding yourself to be open to the signs is the perfect response to starting this book.
Well, I am truly on this journey. I totally buy into the idea of synchronicity. I experience it all the time. I’ve moved ahead to the first exercise, which is to ask the Universe for signs. Every time I venture outside, something comes to me. A leaf lands in my lap. Pine cones call from the pavement. Winter light comes streaming through a fence and makes for a gorgeous photograph.
I am a fan of Robert Moss but find him hard to read because I keep going down rabbit holes. He mentions Yeats and I’m off to read poetry, for example.
I had already acquired this book for myself before the read-along was announced. It will be fun to share my impressions with you all.
As for the three stories, they all ring true. I like the squirrels especially. For me, it’s crows and frogs.
I am already at peace with synchronicity in my life. I don’t NEED this book. But I intend to enjoy it.
Thank you for kicking off discussion. I anticipate many of us reading are similarly attuned, but I am glad to see you are all-in!
(I will try not to talk ahead so that no one feels pressured to catch up, but I am looking forward to the book!)
A podcaster I listen to once discussed his spiritual style as a hopeful agnostic, or someone who currently doesn’t believe, but is hopeful or wishful that there is something greater out there. This is the style I felt that I was bringing to this book. I would call myself a hopeful synchronist, maybe? Hopeful sign finder? Hopeful oracle? The thing I was most afraid of going into this book was getting absolutely nothing out of it and letting my brain think “boo, whatever” to all the woo-woo stuff. This isn’t how I want to think. I want to be inspired by the universe. I want to feel magic and synchronicity. I was happy when, upon reading the first chapter, a few ideas hopped off the page at me.
First, within the story of the young advice seeker, Moss discussed meeting the man in The Firkin and Fox Pub at the Dulles airport. My family and I had visited and enjoyed the Michigan location before it closed. This caught my eye as a first signal that I should continue on with an open mind and not get caught up in the rationality of it all.
Second, the premise of kairomancy is really exciting. What an amazing thing to experience. I’ve actually never seen Interstellar, but have heard numerous times, the adaptation of the main theme in my son’s marching band show this past fall (sign #2 to stay hopeful?). It seems that there are some amazing concepts in the movie and maybe I should watch that as well. I’ve definitely experienced feelings of déjà vu and “record scratch” moments, where things seem to align in strange ways, but I’m not sure that I would have called them kairomancy in the past. So, I’m excited and extremely hopeful that this book and its exercises will help foster an awareness to these moments and a greater recognition of their deeper meanings.
Third, kledons. Oh, overheards, you are some of my favorite things. Again, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them truly as messages from the universe so much as just entertainment for my imagination. Perhaps that is not the message I deserve, but the message I need. Intriguing!
Finally, the quote “You will not find magic in your world unless you carry magic within you.” This I do believe. I haven’t shared with anyone yet that we’re reading this book, just that we’re reading a book. I’m not sure I could survive the pragmatic lambasting that I am sure I would get (you were very brave, Amy!). I’d like to be more confident in my “Hopeful Shamanism” (?) and maybe have a solid example, before throwing that to the logic lovers in my life (I am not that brave).
I enthusiastically move onto chapter two.
Rebecca - I really appreciate this thoughtful and honest comment….. a really careful assessment of where you are and where you want to be (or what you are hopeful about). I have to say, somehow I got chills when I read the comment about you having been at the Firkin and Fox location (and seeing that as a sign of sorts). Wow. That there were three moments in this chapter for you that helped reinforce your decision to read is pretty awesome. I also found interesting that you haven’t told anyone what you are reading. That definitely says something. But, maybe it will be something you explore privately and don’t risk external judgement on for now. And that’s okay! So glad you are reading along. (By the way, did I already mention to you a book that was recommended for anyone who enjoyed Tomorrow, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow?)
Thanks! I don’t think I saw a mention of book, but I’m always looking for something new!
I love your comment. I think it speaks to something so many people grapple with. I find the braveness in the attempt not just the execution. I enjoy how openly honest and confiding you are here. Thank you for sharing.
On the spectrum of being open to symbols around us, I come from the Joseph Campbell’s "the power of myth" camp. There are compelling reasons behind why so many cultures value the same types of myths, characters, and symbols.
In reading this book, I am looking for a reason to look and pay attention in my everyday, a way to gameify or focus observation and hone storytelling. I like thinking of archetypal myths and symbols overlayed on the context of every life.
What jumped out at me in the three example stories were the connections with strangers as part of the portent, whether fleeting (the "kill us both" and Yeats fan ) to profound (the individual in need of counsel).
Thank you for commenting, Lauren. I may have to go and read up on “the power of myth” as a framework. I think your comment about the three example stories is quite interesting as an observation. I wonder how that will play out as we move forward. I also love, of course, your gamification comment. I think there is some of that inherent in thinking of this as an approach. Maybe that mellows as it becomes more ingrained. Looking forward to reading with you.
I believe the power of myth was a documentary series first - of interviews or something, with the book being released as companion content. That may have been how I first came across it, I recall Joseph Campbell was an enigmatic character in the series. There was a whole private “university” or institute or something in Santa Barbara dedicated to Campbell’s teachings, maybe it was just kind of in the local community when I was at UCSB.
Hello all,
It was fun to read through your comments. A few insights I hadn’t even thought of. So, that’s going to be a fun part of the read along!
As I mentioned before when Amy suggested this book, I am firmly in camp woo-woo. I have been my whole life, but my mother’s side of the family has always discussed things like this as being signs or synchronicity. Although, I’m not sure we gave it the formal name until a few years into talking about them. When we mention them to each other it has always been ‘let me tell you about a woo woo I had the other day.’
My only skepticism comes when everything becomes a sign. I don’t know how to explain it more than ‘sometimes a feather is just a feather, birds lose them all the time.’ Although, if you constantly ask the universe to send you feathers and you find them in odd places, well.... Have I mentioned I am good at playing the devil’s advocate. (Maybe not the best analogy if one believes signs come from a higher place.)
As for the author’s stories, I just nodded in agreement. He has the benefit of being able to recognize the conversations and instances and put them into his narrative. This makes me ponder how many signs I miss.
Looking forward to continuing reading with you all. And thanks again to Amy for recommending the book and getting us all together.
Happy 2024 to each of you.
I totally understand the back and forth feeling, devil’s advocate, even with your family grounding and acceptance. (I love that you have that!) I think it’s good to self-assess this way. I also love that you all reclaim woo-woo and use it positively in talking about these things. Your “a feather is sometimes just a feather” is perfect..... that pinpoints something I’ve been thinking. That’s exactly it. That lens is one I will definitely be holding.
I think the author’s stories, for me, were ones I might not have really found meaningful (other than the Firkin and Fox one). What struck me is how we will each find meaning in things that others look at and say, “a feather is just a feather.” Wondering what signs we miss is something someone else expressed, and I think that’s a fascinating question. If we don’t look, we don’t see.... what are we missing?
So glad you are reading along.
You know what I love about you, Amy, is that you are capable of finding gems in everything that multiple people say. That is a horrible sentence, but I hope you catch the meaning. I should had just said, “I appreciate you!”
Not a bad sentence at all.... and I appreciate this (and that you see this) more than you know. I’m heading out for the day and will catch up on other comments later, but I saw these words and wanted to say thank you. Truly.
I'm firmly in camp woo woo, Kelley. And I completely understand your "sometimes a feather is just a feather". It's very true. My take is that the feather has as much or as little meaning as we each give it in the moment. If I see it as a sign from the universe, then it can be. It becomes one because I make it one, using the magic I carry inside me, as Robert Moss says. Today, a feather could be just what I need to guide me and send me the message that I need, but tomorrow it's just another feather that I barely even see as I stroll by. The feather is the same, but I'm different. The noticing is the key, and the message I see within it in the moment.
I'm glad you're here, Kelley, and I can't wait to see what we think as this read along continues!
I totally agree with you about the ‘feather is the same, but I’m different.’ That is a much better way of thinking about than my jaded statements! Haha The noticing is definitely the key. (I’m going to write your quote down in my book.)
I just came upon this and the way you write, the way you move through the words… the way you reveal and question and allow vulnerability make me want to get this book and join in, maybe find my way back to serendipity and synchronicity and the rhythm of magic.
i’ve definitely had many powerful experiences with synchronicity, and there have been times where I have felt out of alignment with it as well. I am looking forward to cultivating more awareness to the messages around me and being more aligned with inviting them in and listening.
Thank you so very much for your comment and your notes on the writing. Your comment is beautiful and means a lot to me. I hope you do see if this book is available to you.... maybe finding this post was somehow a nudge that this is a rekindling that is fitting for you in this time. I would love to have you read along.
I'm Team Woo Woo! What struck me about this chapter is the story about the airport pub. He talked about his travel being delayed and sort of accidentally (on purpose?) winding up at this pub seated next to a young man that really needed his advice in the moment. I'm very structured and I plan and schedule and when things don't work out the way I expect them to, I tend to collapse and feel angry and frustrated. I struggle to go with the flow and let things unfold naturally. It's something I've been working to overcome and I've made strides, but I have more work to do.
So my first thought was....if my travel was delayed I'd be in a very bad mood and I'd never be able to pull off a friendly conversation with a stranger in need. The story about walking the dog in the night was the same for me. I think being an overplanner cuts me off from the serendipitous possibilities that are out there. I'm really hoping this book can help me to see everyday mishaps as opportunities for something special as opposed to a fly in my ointment and a cause for frustration. If I can get better at that, I'll feel like this book was totally worth reading.
But I also know I'm going to love it anyway, and I'm eager to keep reading.
Thanks, Amy, for setting this all up - I know it's a lot of work. And I appreciate all of these wonderful comments, too!
This is an interesting angle on the chapter and how it resonates for you, Trish! The relationship to being flexible and adaptable in the moment and what that flow can lead to is certainly an intriguing way to think about this in your case. I am glad you are reading along, and I wish you a week of serendipity.
I struggle with these same feelings. One year my new years mantra was “I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing” even if the car had a flat, or I was stuck in traffic, or doubling back somewhere because I forgot something, or a kid forgot something. It really shaped my year and mental habit to reroute my frustration at inefficiencies to instead looking for positives or whatnot.
Being inflexible is such a challenge! I'm going to try this reframing and see how it goes. 😁
I ordered my book late and just received it-- just finishing chapter 1 this evening.
I am not in camp Woo-woo, but I’m not completely to the other side of the spectrum either. Somewhere in the middle, but hopeful to open up my awareness to signs. I have to start with my world-view lens of having grown up in a Christian church, and still a believer. But I don’t think this means I’ll poo-poo all the ideas. There are things I’ve paid attention to that I feel like come from God--others might say there’s a higher power at work or it’s the universe speaking. I respect that.
I’ve been kind of uncomfortable with knowing what I was getting myself into until I read his 3 stories. After that section I thought,”Okay, I would think those were God arranged scenarios” if they had happened to me. So already, I feel like I’m in the right place at the right time with the book. If something doesn’t resonate with me, that’s okay. But I bet many of the ideas will strike a chord.
My December serendipitous moment: after school got out, but before Christmas Day, I was taking some odds and ends back up to my classroom, which is in my church building. I really meant to get to that errand the previous afternoon. I drove up to the back door nearest my classroom, got out and heard the gas meter hissing--loudly! So I went to the church office and talked with the secretary and we were able to get the gas company to come out right away. Apparently the lawn service had just been there--within 5 minutes of me driving up!--and hit the meter with a ride-on mower. The specifics seemed incredible--because you can’t see the meter from the office, no one was going to be at the church for services for days, leaking gas can be so dangerous.
I like to see connections like that. My grandmother noticed connections. We both had Deja vu moments, but also both took our religion seriously. So that’s where I’m at as I start the book! Thanks for listening and looking forward to connection with others through the book. Thank you, Amy!
I am really glad to read your comment, Jen, and I am glad that you raised these issues. First, I am sorry you even started to feel uncomfortable. I would never want that! Second…. I really appreciate your openness. I agree that I think many of these issues, the signs, symbols, and moments of coincidence that seem “more” than coincidence can be interpreted within our own systems of belief. Having something like the leaking gas moment be detected, when it might not have been, is a great example….. God, the universe, or something else….. I do think we each interpret based on our context and history. I am sensitive to these issues and want everyone to be comfortable reading and thinking about what comes up. (I love your connection with your grandmother, too.)
What I keep thinking about is being present. So many of us, myself included, are walking around in a trance-totally caught up in our minds, reliving the past or thinking and worrying about what’s to come. When we’re in this state, we are not very likely to experience synchronicities, or to be aware that they might be occurring. Driven to distraction by our devices and recursive thinking, we’re cut off from our connection to the natural world and to any signs or messages that might be available to us if we were able to be in our bodies and connected to our senses.
I have had many experiences with the non-rational and believe in synchronicities and messages from the universe. Those things give me hope. At the same time I can get so caught up in mental gyrations and recently, incessant worry, that I lose touch with that part of myself. I’m hoping that re reading this book will encourage me to shift my focus just enough so that I can be more open to the possibility of connections.
On another note, reading about your experience, Amy, of the Xmas lights coming on, I have been having something similar happen. My TV has been turning on at odd times, sometimes in the day, sometimes in the middle of the night. It’s extremely disconcerting when it comes on at night so I’ve been turning the volume off before I go to bed in case it comes on! The weird thing is, when I go to turn it off, it’s not at the regular log on screen. It’s on the”Pluto” channel, which I have never watched. Nor does Pluto TV ever come up when I go to turn on the television. The first time it came on was in the daytime on my birthday this year, after I had spent a couple of hours working on an altar for my sister, who had taken her life the year before. Since Pluto is the Roman god of the underworld I started wondering if I was getting some kind of message from my sister. I know it sounds crazy, and there are probably rational explanations as to why the TV would be turning itself randomly on, but I do find it thought-provoking.
Adah - I agree with you about how apt we are to walk around, so caught up in our heads, that we just don’t notice what’s around us. That has been a persistent awareness for me through the years… a repeated emphasis on looking and seeing. This book definitely brings that to the forefront, and I hope you do find that you get just the bit of shift you are needing to help you reconnect with that awareness and to see connections. ….. As for the TV…. Wow! I can see how startling that must be. (Very good thinking to turn the volume off.) I know the lights were unsettling….I can imagine the TV being even moreso. The station…. The threads of connection to your sister…. So much there to think about.
Hi again, I am not sure where to post if I should be here at week one because I’m on chapter 1 or if I can should be current in the comments. Sidewalk oracles arrived. I began the first chapter over a bowl of soup and I finished it over brownies.
Our first synchronicity came on day, one, at the mention of the fool, which came up during a mythic Storytelling Workshop where archetypes were embodied.
I’ve been reminded now of synchronicities, which is something that is woven in an out of my life. I am often on the lookout for magic and try to track my magic moments from each day.
my first chapter is marked up with highlight underlined in notes in the margin. I love that he says “we are less interested in how and why things work then that they do work.” I find that in out culture, we are too often put in the position of having to prove ourselves constantly. This detract from the joy of life for me personally. One of my personal messages of guidance that I have received has been “you do not have to convince anybody of anything.“ I’m still working on embodying this.
I also received a synchronicity at the end of the chapter just as I had at the beginning. On page 16, he writes, “coaching pythons to speak and perform.” I have 16 stories in progress, which I pick up and put down from time to time, depending on my mood, and two days ago, pulled out a story which I began editing this morning, coming across the line, “Plume Howler was fond of snakes. In fact, he found snakes to be some of the most magical of creatures.”
I am glad your book arrived! It is fine to comment with each weekly reading section.... that puts your comment in the context of my notes and the comments left by other readers. So this seems perfect! I am glad you enjoyed the first chapter. It sounds like you received several indicators (moments of synchronicity) that suggest this is a good reading for you! I think the message you are holding (“you do not have to convince anybody of anything") fits nicely with the mindset we need to have for this reading, too..... I love hearing that you have all of those stories in process, too.
This first chapter is reminding me a lot of a TV series I really enjoyed - Hellier . Lots of synchronicity in that series! .... Reminding me to open myself to the signs as well
I hadn’t hear of Hellier before, Melissa. Thanks for the mention. I think reminding yourself to be open to the signs is the perfect response to starting this book.