‘In this novel/allegory the narrator/author sets sail in the yacht Impossible to search for Mount Analogue, the geographically located, albeit hidden, peak that reaches inexorably toward heaven. Daumal’s symbolic mountain represents a way to truth that “cannot not exist,” and his classic allegory of man’s search for himself embraces the certainty that one can know and conquer one’s own reality.’
In the passage below Father Sogol begins; the narrator replies.
‘With a little money in this galloping civilization of ours one can easily obtain the basic physical satisfactions. The rest is fraud. Fraud, ticks, and tricks — there’s our whole life, from diaphragm to cranium. My Superior was right: I suffer from an incurable need to understand. I don’t want to die without having understood why I lived. What about you? Have you ever been afraid of death?’
In silence I hunted around among my memories, deep memories where words had never before pried. And I spoke with difficulty. ‘Yes. When I was around six I heard something about flies which sting you when you’re asleep. And naturally someone dragged in the old joke: “When you wake up you’re dead.” The words haunted me. That evening in bed with the light out, I tried to picture death, the “no more of anything”. In my imagination I did away with all the outward circumstances of my life and felt myself confined in ever-tightening circles of anguish: there was no longer any “I” … What does it mean “I”? I couldn’t succeed in grasping it. “I” slipped out of my thoughts like a fish out of the hands of a blind man, and I couldn’t sleep. For three years these nights of questioning in the dark recurred fairly frequently. Then, on one particular night, a marvellous idea came to me: instead of just enduring this agony, try to observe it, to see where it comes from and what it is. I perceived that it all seemed to come from a tightening of something in my stomach, as well as under my ribs and in my throat. I remembered that I was subject to angina and forced myself to relax, especially my abdomen. The anguish disappeared. When I tried again in this new condition to think about death, instead of being clawed by anxiety, I was filled with an entirely new feeling. I knew no name for it — a feeling between mystery and hope.’
‘And then you grew up, went to school, and began to “philosophize”, didn’t you? We all go through the same thing. It seems that during adolescence a person’s inner life is suddenly weakened, stripped of its natural courage. In his thinking he no longer dares stand face to face with reality or mystery; he begins to see them through the opinions of “grown-ups”, through books and courses and professors. Still, a voice remains which is not completely muffled and which cries out every so often — every time its gag is loosened by an unexpected jolt in the routine. The voice cries out its great questioning of everything, but we stifle it again right away. Well, we already understand each other a little. I can admit to you that I fear death. Not what we imagine about death, for such fear is itself imaginary. And not my death as it will be set down with a date in the public records. But that death I suffer every moment, the death of that voice which, out of the depths of my childhood, keeps questioning me as it does you: “Who am I?” Everything in and around us seems to conspire to strangle it once and for all. Whenever the voice is silent — and it doesn’t speak often — I’m an empty body, a perambulating carcass. I’m afraid that one day it will fall silent forever, or that it will speak too late — as in your story about the flies: when you wake up, you’re dead.’
What is existentialism? For Simone de Beauvoir (b. 1908) the discipline is a response to the human need to find a ‘place in a world turned upside down’. It cannot be explained succinctly. Still, let’s have a go.
Pyrrhus and Cineas
In her 1944 essay Pyrrhus and Cineas Beauvoir looks to explain humanity’s quest to find meaning by way of analogy.
Pyrrhus has a plan:
‘We are going to subjugate Greece first,’ says Pyrrhus.
‘And after that?’ asked Cineas.
We will vanquish Africa.’
‘After Africa?’
‘We will go onto Asia … ’
‘And after that?’
‘We will go on as far as India.’
‘After India?’
‘Ah! I will rest.’
‘Why not rest right away?’
According to Beauvoir, Cineas’ question haunts our projects. For why do anything? What’s the point? We’re only going to end up where we started.
However, it’s only Pyrrhus who leads an authentic life. Whereas many people fail even to question their lives, he directs himself towards goals, having the imagination to forge something for himself from the world.
Pyrrhus doesn’t leave to return home, where he started: he leaves to conquer; then to conquer again … Each time he decides a new end. Each time he ‘transcends’ his situation.
‘The paradox of the human condition is that every end can be surpassed, and yet, the project defines the end as an end.’
The garden
The values we draw from our projects are never intrinsic, ready-made, or universal. To believe they are is to possess bad faith.
‘By identifying himself with his sex, his country, his class, with the whole of humanity [or God], a man can increase his garden, but he increases it only in words … [T]he fly on the stagecoach claims he is the one who led the carriage to the top of the hill.’
We give the world meaning through our engagement with it, an act which is accomplished with freedom and subjectivity. We throw ourselves towards ends with uncertainty: the price of leaving the world of ennui and inertia behind us. But, by choosing the locations and the limits of our projects, we snatch ‘the world from the darkness of absurdity’.
This garden must belong to me; I cultivate it. It even transcends me when I die.
‘I am enclosed within it until death because that garden becomes mine from the moment I cultivate it.’
It matters that our values are not given to us. My garden cannot be merged with the sterile void of the Universe, a passive equilibrium.
Being is not fixed to things: being is fixed to itself in a mode of transcendence. Like Pyrrhus’ journey, projects don’t end: ends are surpassed by other ends. Conquer or rest: it doesn’t matter which you choose. Just choose!
⁂
‘Is that my business? What does India matter? And what does Epirus matter? Why call this soil, this woman, these children mine? I brought these children into the world; they are here. The woman is next to me; the soil is under my feet. No tie exists between them and me. Mr Camus’s Stranger thinks like this; he feels foreign to the whole world, which is completely foreign to him … The inert existence of things is separation and solitude.’
There are 16 letters in your name. Those 16 letters total to 72 There are 6 vowels and 10 consonants in your name.
Your number is: 9
The characteristics of #9 are: Humanitarian, giving nature, selflessness, obligations, creative expression.
The expression or destiny for #9: The expression that you exhibit is represented bythe number 9. Your talents center in humanistic interests and approaches. You like to help others as you were intended to be the ‘big brother or big sister’ type. You operate best when you follow your feelings and sense of compassion, and allow yourself to be sensitive to the needs of others. You work well with people, and have the potential to inspire. This suggests that you could successfully teach or counsel. Creative ability, imagination and artistic talent (often latent) of the highest order are present in this expression. It’s possible that you’re not using or developing all of these capabilities at this time. Some of your talents may have been used at an earlier time in your life, and some may still be latent. Be aware of your capabilities, so that you can make use of them at appropriate times.
If you are able to achieve the potential of your natural expression in this life, you are capable of much human understanding and have a lot to give to others. Your personal ambitions are likely to be maintained in a very positive perspective, never losing sight of an interest in people, and a sympathetic, tolerant, broad-minded and compassionate point of view. You are quite idealistic, and disappointed at the lack of perfection in the world. You have a strong awareness of your own feeling as well as those of others. Friendships, affection, and love are extremely important.
Undeveloped or ignored, the negative side of the 9 expression can be very selfish and self-centered. If you do not actively involve yourself with work that benefits others, you may tend to express just the opposite characteristics. It is your role to be very involved with other people and their needs, but it may be difficult for you achieve this role. Aloofness, lack of involvement, and a lack of sensitivity mark the low road of this expression.
Your Soul Urge number is: 7
A Soul Urge number of 7 means: With a number 7 Soul Urge you are very fond of reading, and retreating to periods of being alone and away from the disruptions of the outer world. You like to dream and develop you idealistic understandings, to study and analyze, to gain knowledge and wisdom. You may be too laid back and withdrawn to really succeed in the business world, and you will be much more comfortable in circumstances that are tolerant of your reserve, your analytical approach, and your desire to use your mind rather than your physical being.
You are very timid around people that you don’t know very well, so much so at times that casual conversation and social situations can be strained. You tend to repress your emotions to the extend that some people have a good bit of difficult understanding you. You tend to be very selective with friends and you don’t easily adapt to new environments or to new people very quickly.
The negative traits of the 7 include becoming too much the introvert and isolated from others.
Your Inner Dream number is: 11
An Inner Dream number of 11 means: You dream of casting the light of illumination; of being the true idealist. You secretly believe there is more to life than we can know or prove, and you would like to be provider of the 'word’ from on high.
Meaning of my birthdate
Your date of conception was on or about 8 September 1983 which was a Thursday.
You were born on a Thursday under the astrological sign Gemini. Your Life path number is 4.
Your fortune cookie reads: You are very expressive and positive in words, act and feeling.
Life Path Compatibility: You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 8, 11 & 22. You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 6 & 7. You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 3, 5 & 9.
The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2445851.5. The golden number for 1984 is 9. The epact number for 1984 is 27. The year 1984 was a leap year.
Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/2/1984 and ending 2/19/1985. You were born in the Chinese year of the Rat.
Your Native American Zodiac sign is Elk; your plant is Mullein.
You were born in the Egyptian month of Mesore, the fourth month of the season of Shomu (Harvest).
Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 29 Iyyar 5744. Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 1 Sivan 5744.
The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.11.0.7 which is 12 baktun 18 katun 11 tun 0 uinal 7 kin
The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Thursday, 1 Ramadan 1404 (1404-9-1).
The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 22 April 1984. The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 22 April 1984. The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 7 March 1984. The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 10 June 1984. The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 17 June 1984. The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Tuesday, 25 September 1984. The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Sunday, 15 April 1984. The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 6 March 1984.
As of 10/20/2011 5:21:07 AM EDT You are 27 years old. You are 329 months old. You are 1,429 weeks old. You are 10,003 days old. You are 240,077 hours old. You are 14,404,641 minutes old. You are 864,278,467 seconds old.
Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.91506849315068 years old. (Life’s just a big chewy bone for you!)
Your lucky day is Wednesday. Your lucky number is 5. Your ruling planet(s) is Mercury. Your lucky dates are 5th, 14th, 23rd. Your opposition sign is Sagittarious. Your opposition number(s) is 3.
Today is not one of your lucky days!
There are 224 days till your next birthday on which your cake will have 28 candles.
Those 28 candles produce 28 BTUs, or 7,056 calories of heat (that’s only 7.0560 food Calories!) . You can boil 3.20 US ounces of water with that many candles.
In 1984 there were approximately 3.6 million births in the US. In 1984 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile. In 1984 in the US there were 2,487,000 marriages (10.5%) and 1,155,000 divorces (4.9%) In 1984 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000) In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds. In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.
In 1984 the population of Australia was approximately 15,677,282. In 1984 there were approximately 234,034 births in Australia. In 1984 in Australia there were approximately 108,655 marriages and 43,124 divorces. In 1984 in Australia there were approximately 109,914 deaths.
Your birth flower is LILY
Your birthstone is Emerald
The Mystical properties of Emerald
Though not meant to replace traditional medical treatment, Emerald is used for physical and emotional healing.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Agate, Chrysoprase
Your birth tree is
Ash Tree, the Ambition
Uncommonly attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with its fate, can be egoistic, very reliable and trustworthy, faithful and prudent lover, sometimes brains rule over heart, but takes partnership very serious.
Being an arachnophobe means constantly checking every corner of a room and the ceiling before you enter.
Being an arachnophobe means freaking out whenever you see a ball of hair on the floor before you realize it’s just a ball of hair.
Being an arachnophobe means teetering on the edge of a panic attack whenever you see a spider-web but not the spider.
Being an arachnophobe means wanting to pack your bags and move the minute the porter of your building tells you that the spider’s nest they found in the basement scattered all over the building when they disturbed it…and you live on the first floor…
Being an arachnophobe means cursing up a mental storm and breaking into a cold-sweat whenever you see a spider because it means you’re going to have to deal with it (killing it, removing it, whatever that means).
Being an arachnophobe means having a mental breakdown when you accidentally walk into a spider dangling from a web and it getting stuck on you.
Being an arachnophobe means your significant other telling you not to look behind you before they grab a shoe and kill it for you.
Being an arachnophobe means finding out that spiders create cobwebs (I honestly did not know this) and then freaking out when you find a lot of cobwebs in your room…
Being an arachnophobe means having to check every branch and leaf when you’re walking through a park or the woods to make sure you don’t accidentally run into a spider or it’s web.
Being an arachnophobe means finding out what countries experience raining spiders and have giant hunter spiders and deciding never to travel to those countries some day. Never going to Australia :P
Being an arachnophobe means going camping, entering a cabin, bathroom or changing area, seeing spiders and spider-webs everywhere and saying NOPE before turning back around and deciding to find another facility.
Being an arachnophobe means being excited to take a break from the city to go to the suburbs and then remembering that there are more spiders in the suburbs than in the city.
Being an arachnophobe means being over-joyed to stay at a friend’s relative’s place in the suburbs and she tells you that she hates spiders and she’s taken every measure possible to oust them from the house. (Halleluja!)
Being an arachnophobe means eating crabs and trying to forget that they’re in the same family as spiders.
Being an arachnophobe means finding two very small red spots next to each other your arm after waking up, Googling what it is, finding out that it’s a spider-bite and then jumping out of bed yelling to yourself “holy fuck, A SPIDER WAS ON ME?? WHERE THE FUCK IS IT??”
Being an arachnophobe means thinking about the possibility that you’ll never get over your fear and that you’ll probably die old from a heart-attack from seeing a spider.
Alcohol has been present in human society for thousands of years, and let’s be honest, it’s not going anywhere. As well as being a tool to loosen one’s inhibitions, alcohol can also be a tool in witchcraft and, like most tools and ingredients, different beverages have different associations.
Listed are flowers that you can easily grow or find in most places. Hope you enjoy!♡
Lily - Protects against and can break through hexes, curses and other forms of targeted magic - Aids in communication with deities and angels - Guards against unwanted spirits and negativity -Commonly associated with fertility, purity, and prosperity
Rose - Most strongly associated with love and beauty of all kinds - Also associated with divination and good luck - Can be used to help strengthen intuition - Great to add to basically any glamour spell
Lilac - Drives away unwanted spirits - Strong protective properties - Can be used to attract short romantic flings - Most common associations are with exorcism, protection, and flirtation
Tulip - Usually associated with love and positive energies - Can be used to build and strengthen romantic relationships - Can promote happiness and contentment in one’s life
Daffodil - Symbolizes rebirth and inner peace - Can help you move on from toxic relationships, tragic events and other things that may have damaged your soul - Can aid in big moves and career changes
Daisy - Strongly connected to divination and future telling - Symbolizes youth - Can attract romantic possibilities
Magnolia - Historically has symbolized dignity, nobility, and purity - Great for all kinds of healing - Can increase emotions related to love and loyalty
Iris - Associated with inner truth, wisdom, clarity, and creativity - Use when you want to have a more nuanced or truthfull understanding of something -Named after the Greek goddess of the rainbow and messenger to the Gods, Iris
Orchid - Symbolizes beauty, elegance, luxury, and love - Useful in glamour spells - Can help improve memory
Sunflower - Attributed with luck, honesty, and loyalty - Great for working with solar deities - Can help you gain confidence
In Lisa Chamberlain’s book called ‘Wicca: Kitchen Witchery’ I found some good informations for kitchen witchery and I would like to share it with you so it may will be useful for someone!
Basil
General Magical Uses: fosters loving vibrations, protection, wards off negativities in a home
Bay Leaf
General Magical Uses: protection, purification, healing, strenght, good fortune, money, success
Cinnamon
General Magical Uses: love, luvck, prosperity, success, raises spiritual vibration
️Dandelion️
General Magical Uses: divination, interacction with spirit world, wishes
Nutmeg
General Magical Uses: money, prosperity, good luck, protection
Oregano
General Magical Uses: peace, deepening love relationships, releasing old relationships
Parsley
General Magical Uses: protection, money, luck, lust, strenght, vitality
Rosemary
General Magical Uses: love and lust spells, promotes healthy rest
❁Sage❁
General Magical Uses: longevity, wishom, protection, dispels negative energy
⭐Star Anise⭐
General Magical Uses: luck, spiritual connection, psychic and magical power
Tyhme
General Magical Uses: attracts lovalty, affection, psychic abilities
One / Ace: New beginnings, first steps, fresh starts, initiation, conception. Leadership, taking action. Planting the seeds of a project, process, ambition, desire, or plan. Testing the waters. Imagination. Potential. Possibilities.
Two: Duality, partnership, cooperation, sharing, equalizing, balancing. Options, the need to make a choice. Separate paths or directions. Togetherness or a need for it. Attraction. Yin and Yang, the harmony or conflict of opposites.
Three: Scattered or coordinated energies in multiplicity. Communication and connection in groups. Creativity, abundance, growth, progress. Fluidity and velocity of a process, forward movement. Acquisition, collecting, gathering.
Four: The structure, the foundation; the basis for fruition. Nurturance, care, maintenance, caution. Securing current progress. A milestone or significant checkpoint. The seeds begin to sprout. Slow advancement, stillness. Patience.
Five: A sudden change, challenge, conflict, obstacle, or new idea/option that disrupts the present process. Crises, instability, chaos. The need to recreate, reroute, re-evaluate, or regroup. Realization, clarity, a change of mind.
Six: Solving or transcending a problem. Finding a new path or an escape route. Support and harmony. Relief and relaxation following adjustment to a new condition or reality. Acceptance, working with the truth/situation.
Seven: A disruptive halt caused by the need for introspection, intuition, reflection, assessment, and consideration. Deep thought, solitude, inspection of the spirit/subconscious. Cultivating faith, openness, & a new perspective.
Eight: Power & mastery. An excess of energy, a culmination, overflow. Using the knowledge gained to start again; rebirth & claiming what’s been earned. A need to purge what is below to make room for what’s above. Accomplishment.
Nine: Completion, the end, finality. Transition, transcendence, transformation. Wisdom. Overwhelm. Letting go. The peak, the final fruition, the harvest. Resting now that it’s all over – grieving or celebrating the results.
Ten: Coming full circle, starting again. Razing after raising; a state of “too much” and needing to purge, cleanse, flush the remains of the prior process or experience. Opening up to release the old, as well as to take in the new.
