Starting with time traveling books and movies, I’ve watched or read several of the ones you mentioned and loved them. Two other books I’ve read and loved: The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett (2012) which really gets wild the further you get from the Earth we’re standing on currently; and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch which empires that idea of branching off with each new choice you make. Both of those ideas I think about often. I’m fascinated by the ideas of time travel and multiple universes. I guess I don’t feel like I’ll ever really see it myself--what makes me special enough in this time to experience that? On the other hand this chapter of the book makes the argument that we are experiencing it whether we recognize it or not! The gods are here either way.
A thought I had concerning rule 7 and our difficulties, is a phrase I heard somewhere--do it for the plot. Consider your life a movie, and trouble arises. Well that’s to be expected! But what would the heroine do? I’m more likely to wallow in it and get frustrated and angry at my loved ones, but I think this section encourages you to look for the positive move.
To look for the hidden hand in rule 8 very much sounds like the conversations I hear in my religious community.
Thanks for the book rec! :-) And I absolutely love the idea of 'doing it for the plot'! I agree, it may be a good way to allow yourself to think of things alternately and is an 'off-ramp' for negative thoughts to be left behind and solutions to continue forward.
Robert Moss seems to relish his role as provocateur a little too much at times. Due to some of the bawdier and pompous parts of this book, I’ve been on the fence on my opinion of the author so far. Listening to a podcast interview with him softened my opinion a bit. I may have absorbed more from the interview than from this particular reading selection, but what I got from either or both this week was: the emphasis on getting out into the world to feed your own story, whether that is looking for portents, discussions with people, or just more fodder for creativity real or imagined. So I have been trying to get out more, with my eyes and ears open. And I caught a pretty interesting kledon during a predawn walk. When I walk during that time of day, the most I ever see is a jogger or dog walker with a mumbled “hi.” But this time when I walked, with a big question on my mind, I came upon an entire scene, with multiple players, acting out a very similar scenario to my decision, all in the dark street and with only me to see it. That really felt like “the universe getting personal.” Do I need the brontomancy too, like Odysseus? Maybe I got it, we had big thunder storms two days running.
So…. I’m feeling similarly after this week….to your opening comment. I’m glad though that you caught an interview that changed things a bit because I do hope there are things for us in this book no matter what we ultimately think. (It’s always the risk with a read-along.) This issue of getting out is one I know I’ll be talking about. (It’s actually one that worries me.) But I’m glad that you took that and have been proactive…. And already a kledon (which you will find in the games, too…. So you are ahead of yourself)! That sounds like a really amazing moment…. One you couldn’t miss…. Unless you hadn’t been walking at that moment, right? If you had missed it, I wonder how else the message might have arrived? Interesting to think about. Your inner wrestling in these days is palpable. I wish you peace.
I think there are times when an experience can be so uncanny that it's almost impossible to write it off as simple coincidence or wishful thinking. I also think there are times when the magic is in the connections we make that give the experiences meaning. Maybe some are messages to us from the universe, and maybe some are messages to ourselves, showing us what matters to us.
I'm not sure what to think of the idea of creating our own reality or the idea of multiple realities. It seems to me that if we create our own realities, our manifestations would undoubtedly have to interfere with those of the people around us because we coexist with others who have free will. So either we would have to be contributors or co-creators. Therefore I refuse to be held solely responsible for not making animal balloons and lemonade😁
Some parts of this book are easier reading than others. I got weighed down here and there. I think this author would be both interesting and exhausting to talk to. I feel like I would need several college degrees and have to watch more Jeopardy to have such a talk. Lol. Overall he has covered some interesting ideas, though, and I'm looking for more signs and messages in my everyday life, which I'm enjoying.
Wishing you a glass of lemonade that is simply handed to you! I’m glad you are keeping an open mind. I think as the games begin, it will be interesting to see how they play out and how and if these can be helpful in making us more aware of symbols around us. I agree, there are times when things are really clear…. But I think this book will suggest to us that more subtle moments may be all around us….if we are looking.
I'm not sure I could see a single bubble fly by me without thinking of it as a sign or fortelling of something, especially if I couldn't find the source. It would haunt my every waking moment. Ha!
This week was one where I spent a lot of time trying very hard to be the Kairomancer. All of the Jung talk from the previous weeks reminded me of a podcast that I absolutely love, Creative Codex, hosted by MJ Dorian. He does deep dives into different creatives. Recently, he did one on Jung and his love of alchemy. It was a series of episodes that I began to listen to, but it was so deep that I had a hard time keeping up with it, so I skipped those episodes. However, reading this book reminded me that these episodes existed and I began listening with renewed interest and a better mindset for the topic. Listening while also reading has raised my awareness, influenced my thoughts and I’ve also never had a greater desire to sketchnote podcast episodes (I have been taking notes as I’m not a huge sketchnoter).
I’ve been keenly aware of my dreams, try to create a note of them as soon as I wake so I can remember and then ponder over them for a while and have tried to walk with them, as Jung liked to do.
In regards to rule nine - you walk in many worlds - reminded of when my kids were very young infants and I was not sleeping much, as I would drift off to sleep, I would have this sensation of being caught in a “game” or being watched. I still have no real recollection of any other details other than it was something I felt trapped in. I always joked with myself that it was a parallel self caught in some dystopian universe trying to reach me. As we get further into this, I’m thinking of it as less of a joke. Now that I get a full night’s sleep most nights, I haven’t had this sensation, but now I’m wondering about all the ways our karma may have influenced each other at the time. I almost wish it would happen again so I could pay better attention.
My favorite rule - dance with the Trickster. The Trickster is an archetype that, in my opinion, rules our household. So much so, that we really should buckle down every now and then and look for the serious in some situations. He may be a bit out of control, but we’ve always got a great story! I’ve also read “Anansi Boys” and loved the Gaiman-ization of the character. (“American Gods” was good for this as well).
I think the rules and the O.A.T.H. have prepped our minds for the coming activities. I will probably paraphrase them onto a sheet of paper and post them somewhere in my office where I can refer to them often as we work through the activities and also while listening to the next Creative Codex episodes.
I’m going to have to check out the Creative Codex — and these episodes. Intriguing! You’ve used a phrase here in relation to Jung that comes up in the first games, in fact, and that is a delightful thing to see. I read your words, and I feel we are walking in parallel….heightened awareness, open, looking. I do hope we find something. I appreciate the quiet energy of this post and your mindset. I am laughing though at your characterization of the trickster in your house. :)
MJ does such a wonderful job. His podcasts are very well researched and each episode is like a mini-course on the subject. Plus he writes his own music for the shows (which is awesome) and always picks fantastic subjects (The Van Gogh series was a standout for me, as well as the Marina Abramovic).
Thanks, Kortney. Rebecca also pointed out that quote today from Austin Kleon's post in relation to the book. I'm glad you shared it here. It's a great quote (the whole thing) -- certainly relevant. We could just not read the book :)
I would say it probably really is that simple to sum it all up. But as we keep throwing words at it, I think it keeps brewing in our consciousness. What that will lead to for each of us, I don't know!
I totally agree that it's worthwhile to keep on thinking and writing about these ideas. I think that's actually where the *magic* is. Looking forward to trying some of the experiments in coming weeks.
I’m up past my bedtime—AGAIN—trying to keep track of my email, and my writing, and planning for 100 day project. Sometimes I think wistfully about quilting. And there’s this guy on Substack who is helping us read War and Peace over the course of a year, one (short) chapter a day. Life is, er, busy.
So, I’m not kvelling on the 12 rules. I don’t think they are necessary to my being present (what Moss calls kairomancing). Yeah, dance with the trickster. Coyote is always nipping at me! But I’m already aware of these ideas, already living them. I don’t need to check the boxes.
Of course, we all live in parallel worlds. in a big fat universe the contains every thing and every time. I don’t care much for parallel universe fiction or time travel—though I’m a big Philip Pullman fan—because I am living in them all the time. I went into the forest today and intuited the trees and the ivy and the dirt as the essence of everything, the fabric of my own being.
Simon, the guy on the internet reading W + P, is an absolute gem! We read with him last year and it was transformational. My 17 year old daughter finished W + P on Dec 31 and started the book again on Jan 1.
What are you thinking of doing for a 100 Days project?
I am enjoying both of Simon’s read-alongs. He is wonderful. I love hearing that you read W&P with him last year - and that one of your children started again with this read.
Thanks for asking, Kortney. I might draw a glyph each day, that is, a calligraphic representation of a word. “Glyphix for Visual Journaling” is a book about it.
But I also have a list of a couple of hundred “shadow” or “negative” words that I want to write about, one a day. When I started that project, I thought all the writing would be the same, seeking the hidden positive. But this is not the case. Each word is different, a treasure.
Starting with time traveling books and movies, I’ve watched or read several of the ones you mentioned and loved them. Two other books I’ve read and loved: The Long Earth by Terry Pratchett (2012) which really gets wild the further you get from the Earth we’re standing on currently; and Dark Matter by Blake Crouch which empires that idea of branching off with each new choice you make. Both of those ideas I think about often. I’m fascinated by the ideas of time travel and multiple universes. I guess I don’t feel like I’ll ever really see it myself--what makes me special enough in this time to experience that? On the other hand this chapter of the book makes the argument that we are experiencing it whether we recognize it or not! The gods are here either way.
A thought I had concerning rule 7 and our difficulties, is a phrase I heard somewhere--do it for the plot. Consider your life a movie, and trouble arises. Well that’s to be expected! But what would the heroine do? I’m more likely to wallow in it and get frustrated and angry at my loved ones, but I think this section encourages you to look for the positive move.
To look for the hidden hand in rule 8 very much sounds like the conversations I hear in my religious community.
I’ll check back and see what others think!
Thanks for the book rec! :-) And I absolutely love the idea of 'doing it for the plot'! I agree, it may be a good way to allow yourself to think of things alternately and is an 'off-ramp' for negative thoughts to be left behind and solutions to continue forward.
Love that idea: what would the heroine do?
Thank you for mentioning these books, Jen. I agree with Rebecca and Lauren about the great “do it for the plot” analogy.
Robert Moss seems to relish his role as provocateur a little too much at times. Due to some of the bawdier and pompous parts of this book, I’ve been on the fence on my opinion of the author so far. Listening to a podcast interview with him softened my opinion a bit. I may have absorbed more from the interview than from this particular reading selection, but what I got from either or both this week was: the emphasis on getting out into the world to feed your own story, whether that is looking for portents, discussions with people, or just more fodder for creativity real or imagined. So I have been trying to get out more, with my eyes and ears open. And I caught a pretty interesting kledon during a predawn walk. When I walk during that time of day, the most I ever see is a jogger or dog walker with a mumbled “hi.” But this time when I walked, with a big question on my mind, I came upon an entire scene, with multiple players, acting out a very similar scenario to my decision, all in the dark street and with only me to see it. That really felt like “the universe getting personal.” Do I need the brontomancy too, like Odysseus? Maybe I got it, we had big thunder storms two days running.
So…. I’m feeling similarly after this week….to your opening comment. I’m glad though that you caught an interview that changed things a bit because I do hope there are things for us in this book no matter what we ultimately think. (It’s always the risk with a read-along.) This issue of getting out is one I know I’ll be talking about. (It’s actually one that worries me.) But I’m glad that you took that and have been proactive…. And already a kledon (which you will find in the games, too…. So you are ahead of yourself)! That sounds like a really amazing moment…. One you couldn’t miss…. Unless you hadn’t been walking at that moment, right? If you had missed it, I wonder how else the message might have arrived? Interesting to think about. Your inner wrestling in these days is palpable. I wish you peace.
I, too, want to hold Moss at a distance. He can be pompous, especially when he is trying to be fey. Thank you for your comment.
I think there are times when an experience can be so uncanny that it's almost impossible to write it off as simple coincidence or wishful thinking. I also think there are times when the magic is in the connections we make that give the experiences meaning. Maybe some are messages to us from the universe, and maybe some are messages to ourselves, showing us what matters to us.
I'm not sure what to think of the idea of creating our own reality or the idea of multiple realities. It seems to me that if we create our own realities, our manifestations would undoubtedly have to interfere with those of the people around us because we coexist with others who have free will. So either we would have to be contributors or co-creators. Therefore I refuse to be held solely responsible for not making animal balloons and lemonade😁
Some parts of this book are easier reading than others. I got weighed down here and there. I think this author would be both interesting and exhausting to talk to. I feel like I would need several college degrees and have to watch more Jeopardy to have such a talk. Lol. Overall he has covered some interesting ideas, though, and I'm looking for more signs and messages in my everyday life, which I'm enjoying.
Wishing you a glass of lemonade that is simply handed to you! I’m glad you are keeping an open mind. I think as the games begin, it will be interesting to see how they play out and how and if these can be helpful in making us more aware of symbols around us. I agree, there are times when things are really clear…. But I think this book will suggest to us that more subtle moments may be all around us….if we are looking.
I'm not sure I could see a single bubble fly by me without thinking of it as a sign or fortelling of something, especially if I couldn't find the source. It would haunt my every waking moment. Ha!
This week was one where I spent a lot of time trying very hard to be the Kairomancer. All of the Jung talk from the previous weeks reminded me of a podcast that I absolutely love, Creative Codex, hosted by MJ Dorian. He does deep dives into different creatives. Recently, he did one on Jung and his love of alchemy. It was a series of episodes that I began to listen to, but it was so deep that I had a hard time keeping up with it, so I skipped those episodes. However, reading this book reminded me that these episodes existed and I began listening with renewed interest and a better mindset for the topic. Listening while also reading has raised my awareness, influenced my thoughts and I’ve also never had a greater desire to sketchnote podcast episodes (I have been taking notes as I’m not a huge sketchnoter).
I’ve been keenly aware of my dreams, try to create a note of them as soon as I wake so I can remember and then ponder over them for a while and have tried to walk with them, as Jung liked to do.
In regards to rule nine - you walk in many worlds - reminded of when my kids were very young infants and I was not sleeping much, as I would drift off to sleep, I would have this sensation of being caught in a “game” or being watched. I still have no real recollection of any other details other than it was something I felt trapped in. I always joked with myself that it was a parallel self caught in some dystopian universe trying to reach me. As we get further into this, I’m thinking of it as less of a joke. Now that I get a full night’s sleep most nights, I haven’t had this sensation, but now I’m wondering about all the ways our karma may have influenced each other at the time. I almost wish it would happen again so I could pay better attention.
My favorite rule - dance with the Trickster. The Trickster is an archetype that, in my opinion, rules our household. So much so, that we really should buckle down every now and then and look for the serious in some situations. He may be a bit out of control, but we’ve always got a great story! I’ve also read “Anansi Boys” and loved the Gaiman-ization of the character. (“American Gods” was good for this as well).
I think the rules and the O.A.T.H. have prepped our minds for the coming activities. I will probably paraphrase them onto a sheet of paper and post them somewhere in my office where I can refer to them often as we work through the activities and also while listening to the next Creative Codex episodes.
Have a great week!
I’m going to have to check out the Creative Codex — and these episodes. Intriguing! You’ve used a phrase here in relation to Jung that comes up in the first games, in fact, and that is a delightful thing to see. I read your words, and I feel we are walking in parallel….heightened awareness, open, looking. I do hope we find something. I appreciate the quiet energy of this post and your mindset. I am laughing though at your characterization of the trickster in your house. :)
MJ does such a wonderful job. His podcasts are very well researched and each episode is like a mini-course on the subject. Plus he writes his own music for the shows (which is awesome) and always picks fantastic subjects (The Van Gogh series was a standout for me, as well as the Marina Abramovic).
Thanks for the recommendation of Creativity Codex.
This Austin Kleon quote sort of sums up the rules for me: "it is a great help to the artist to believe that there are no coincidences."
You can red the larger quote here: https://austinkleon.com/2024/01/30/snails-and-magical-thinking/
Thanks, Kortney. Rebecca also pointed out that quote today from Austin Kleon's post in relation to the book. I'm glad you shared it here. It's a great quote (the whole thing) -- certainly relevant. We could just not read the book :)
I would say it probably really is that simple to sum it all up. But as we keep throwing words at it, I think it keeps brewing in our consciousness. What that will lead to for each of us, I don't know!
I totally agree that it's worthwhile to keep on thinking and writing about these ideas. I think that's actually where the *magic* is. Looking forward to trying some of the experiments in coming weeks.
I'm right there with you in thinking about it this way. Have a great weekend, Kortney.
My head is going to explode.
I’m up past my bedtime—AGAIN—trying to keep track of my email, and my writing, and planning for 100 day project. Sometimes I think wistfully about quilting. And there’s this guy on Substack who is helping us read War and Peace over the course of a year, one (short) chapter a day. Life is, er, busy.
So, I’m not kvelling on the 12 rules. I don’t think they are necessary to my being present (what Moss calls kairomancing). Yeah, dance with the trickster. Coyote is always nipping at me! But I’m already aware of these ideas, already living them. I don’t need to check the boxes.
Of course, we all live in parallel worlds. in a big fat universe the contains every thing and every time. I don’t care much for parallel universe fiction or time travel—though I’m a big Philip Pullman fan—because I am living in them all the time. I went into the forest today and intuited the trees and the ivy and the dirt as the essence of everything, the fabric of my own being.
My heart will explode, too, and soon.
Simon, the guy on the internet reading W + P, is an absolute gem! We read with him last year and it was transformational. My 17 year old daughter finished W + P on Dec 31 and started the book again on Jan 1.
What are you thinking of doing for a 100 Days project?
I am enjoying both of Simon’s read-alongs. He is wonderful. I love hearing that you read W&P with him last year - and that one of your children started again with this read.
Thanks for asking, Kortney. I might draw a glyph each day, that is, a calligraphic representation of a word. “Glyphix for Visual Journaling” is a book about it.
But I also have a list of a couple of hundred “shadow” or “negative” words that I want to write about, one a day. When I started that project, I thought all the writing would be the same, seeking the hidden positive. But this is not the case. Each word is different, a treasure.
Or maybe I’ll have another idea.
How about you?
For the 100 Days before I turn 50, I am going to walk to the river each day. I love the idea of writing with shadow words!
That’s a lovely thought. I turned 50 on Jan 1, 2000. That was a trip.