A catalogue of befuddling subjects

The Swimming Lesson

2006-08-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

“Take a deep breath.”
His lungs hurt already and the plunge wouldn’t help that any. The plunge would unquestionably be bitter cold. A chill to the bone, to be sure. The sort of chill that numbed the skin purple, that chattered teeth. No one imagined anyone could withstand it. Surely no one could stand it.
“Remember to breathe.”
He stood at the water’s edge, on the strand, debating whether or not the plunge was such a good idea after all. Perhaps, instead, the slow immersion was best, gradual envelopment, slowly made accustom to the temperament of the loch. But no, that wouldn’t do either, he thought to himself, as images of slippery amphibians in stove-top appliances flashed before his eyes. The debate grew all the fierier: I don’t want to be a toad, he thought, my blood is cold enough as it is, and I don't want to be burnt up. No, that won’t do either.
“Don’t hold your breath.”
Maybe an experiment to test the waters.
“Breathe out.”
He dipped his toes in and felt the prick like pins and needles. But he quickly recoiled, his foot blenched. It was as if a great, blue hornet had poisoned him with its great, burning stinger all at once, and it made the sting of his after shave feel like an aloe. I must be mad, he thought. He was too young to be shaving anyhow.
“Close your eyes.”
I wish I were a polar bear, all warm and fuzzy in a coat of white fur. I wouldn’t feel a thing all blanketed in blubber. The water might just be refreshing that way. Like going for a nice cool dip after a hard day’s work. I’d shed the coat altogether, and in its place I’d wear goose bumps. Only, he thought with hesitation, only its such a beautiful coat.
“Don’t forget to breathe.”
Or even a mighty grizzly on a bout of fishing. Standing there, knee deep in the water, waiting for a bite. What seemed like endless hours might pass, not a tug, not a nibble, but there I’d stand stock still, waiting for the catch of a lifetime. Another hour gone, not a stirring of the line, not a bubbling in the water, but I wouldn’t lose patience, I couldn’t afford to. I had mouths to feed. His stomach rumbled.
“Always wait an hour after a meal...”
That is more than enough. There has to be a better way.
“Don’t give in to the cold.”
He bent down somewhere between a sit and a crouch, his arms resting limply before him. He looked awkward hunched over there; clumsy, like a puppy whose extremities are too large for his body. He sat there, with his tail between his legs, apprehensive of the unexplored territory before his nose. A dog’s scent is always thrown for a curve around water, and he hardly knew what to do with himself. Where to go from here, he wondered.
“There’s nowhere else to go but in.”
Slowly, he dipped his hands into the water and brought forth a cup brimming with crystal glass. Gleaming, he saw his face upon its surface, pale and sad and full of apprehension; skin tight and red with cold. Disappointed, he quickly made a change, like someone at a dinner party who all at once sees their reflection in a pewter place setting. His face relaxed and his countenance became calm. His posture straightened slightly, and the nervous puppy became like a wisened old watchdog. But suddenly, he tossed the cup upward, shocking the other guests, and heaving the water onto his face unceremoniously. It struck him like a ton of bricks, like brandished steal it tore through his senses burning his skin and giving him shivers something awful. He felt it run down his cheeks and along the curve of his jaw bottling up at the base of his chin and dripping drops onto his feet. Then, drawing forth another, he pitched it up in like manner, letting it strike him, but this time it stuck with less tenacity. He did the same then with another, and another until his hair was sopping wet and he was soaked to the ears. For he knew, when the mind is made accustom, so is the body. The shock value had diminished.
“It’s all or nothing.”
So it is, he began to think. But he never got around to thinking it, for all rational thought had suddenly left him. And all that was left was the desire to swim. So he swam. Before he knew what he was doing, before he knew what had happened, he swam. And the water no longer felt so icy. No, now it was but a temperate stream; a cool shower after a summer’s day or a hot bath after a winter’s, depending.
“That a’boy!”
Encouragement! Though it was only just now that he had heard it for the first time. Gleefully his thoughts returned to him: Encouragement! With such sweet support what chill could burn, what heat suppress? In what could one take worry? How could I have been so ill-concerned? How could I have been so worried? After all, what’s there to fear when you’re a polar bear?
“My, what a thrill this is!”

A Personal Quip

2006-07-15T01:19:00.000-05:00

To be normal in modern society is to be anything but. Truly, you could venture to say it is to be a non-conformist. For to call oneself normal in the present day is to call oneself an alien; an invader of a distant world or foreign domain. Indeed, the champion of normalcy is the alien in an extraterrestrial world. He is the man among martians.

The New Addition

2006-06-15T22:32:00.000-05:00

Looking In

2006-05-24T14:23:00.000-05:00

"Whatever else a modern feels when he looks at the night sky he certainly feels that he is looking out--{...}. But if you accepted the Medieval Model you would feel like one looking in. The Earth is 'outside the city wall'. When the sun is up he dazzles us and we cannot see inside. Darkness, our own darkness, draws the veil and we catch a glimps of the high pomps within; [...]. And, looking in, we do not see, [...], 'the army of unalterable law', but rather the revelry of insatiable love." ~C.S. Lewis

We tend to disregard the sky. We unconsciously think that it's nothing more than a backdrop to the foreground. A mat painting to fill in what is otherwise obsolete. "Here's where all the action is," we think, "and here is all that matters." This precept, however unconscious it may be, stems from the minds of moderns, taking root in the central focus of Enlightenment culture, that is, individuality and originality. As products of Enlightenment thought, we readily consider this concept mandate, the axiom of art, science, and history throughout the centuries. But such was not the case, as we shall come to find out.

The medievals had a very different view of the heavens, seeing the anatomy of the universe in a wholly different light. As Peter Ackroyd discusses in his Albion, "If the people of England gazed heavenward, and looked up at the night sky filled with light and harmony,they believed that they were looking inward not outward; [...]. This is of some importance to the writer and artist, [...]; just as the personal sinfullness of a priest made no difference to his power upon the alter, so unique or individual perception was less important than the corpus of approved and aquired knowledge. Authenticity was more significant than individuality or originality, [...]." You see, for the medievals, the heavens were the point. The sky was of central focus and was a prime influence, for they recognized the importance of the heavenly realms towards which we are to strive. At the same time, they did not do so to the detriment of the realm in which we live. "There is where my loyalties lie," they thought, "but here too might I fulfill them." The medievals positioned themselves in a manner so as to be in the world but not of it; an especially radical manner after the dominance of the Platonic and Aristotelian schools of thought (Platonic thought- focus on the spiritual to the neglect of the physical; Aristotelian- focus on the physical to the neglect of the spiritual). But the people of Christendom saw the holes in the logic of the Greek philosophers, so instead, they followed the faith and infallable reason of the Scriptures. Reading from top to bottom, they thought: 'Since we are made in the image of God, our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost and, while temporary, are important. Likewise our souls are important. They are everlasting and they give us identity. They are our true form, for we are, indeed, spirits with bodies, not bodies with spirits. It is our spirits that shall join the Almighty. Therefore, both the physical and spiritual realms matter and should be revered as members of the covenant faculty.'

It can be concluded, therefore, that the medievals' view of the sky was the direct result of their worldview. Just as was their sense of aesthetics, their medicinal practices, their studies of Alchemy, Astrology, etc. Each were influenced by this all encompasing worldview focused on and fulfilled by the standards of the faith, by the beauty, truth, and goodness of the Word made flesh. To the medieval, the means were just as important as the end and the mode just as vital as the message. Art was not, is not, for the sake of art, nor is it for the praise of the artist. It is not about finding the newist way to rebel and mutilate, but a creative (and, perhaps, even innovative) way to express old truths. The medievals knew this. Moreover, they put it into practice, for that is the beauty of Christendom.

Let Your People be My Peeps and Your God, My Homeboy

2006-05-21T23:32:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed the ambiguity of our religion in popular culture? How even the most humanistic and idle profess Christianity, carrying on as if vice were virtue? I have, and as the tendency towards the endearment of God becomes all the more prevalent in our churches and society it's hard to miss. Altogether, we "contemporary" Christians feel it is necessary to follow every whim of secular progression if we are to appeal to a modern audience. We want to draw in the next generation of twenty-somethings with our flashing lights and lavish guitar solos; our messy haircuts, wrinckled clothing, and hip evangelisic tools. The idea is to profess faith in a fashion so as to avoid riddicule and to make religion appeal to the seeker. To depict faith as a matter of the heart alone, the business of "what's inside" rather than the all-engrossing matter of word, thought, and deed as depicted in Romans 15:17-21. The problem is, this is completely contrary to Biblical teaching (I Peter 2:13-25). If we profess to be Christians and believe that the faith encompasses every aspect of life, then that faith on which we stand should necessarily affect change in every aspect of our lives. If we believe that Yahweh is the author of all things, we must submit to this principle. If we profess belief in the Bible, then we must do the same. Now do not interperet my words to say that we should abandon the mission field and fold the embracing arms of the Church before the face of the poor, the despised, and the unlovely of our local communities; that is a sinful debunking of the Christian duty and is unquestionably incorrect. What I mean instead is that while we, 'the popular face of christian culture (i.e. christians who attempt to spread the gospel through secular means)', go about sowing seeds of obscurity, we should on the contrary be laying the foundations of light and life in a world that is utterly becoming dark. God calls us to be the ambassadors of His kingdom, bringing clarity and rationality, connecting the dots and bearing the tools of true repentance to the ends of the earth.

I say all this to make mention of a number of ambiguities recently called to my attention. Most especially, one regarding the ferociously popular MySpace.com. Now I'm not sure how many of you have MySpace profiles (the fewer the better in my opinion), but should you have one you will recall that in the process of setting up your account you were asked to select your religious standing. MySpace provides options as diverse as Shintoism to as ordered as Catholicism, but Christianity is no real option. It only appears in the form 'Christian--other'. As if Christianity were so indistinct that it took more than one name to describe. Unfortunately, however, in modern culture, it does. There are 33,830 Christian denominations in the world, a number astonishing to most of us. It makes one wonder how we expect to portray the face of the gospel when even we Christians cannot agree on what it looks like. We wonder where the line is drawn, and where 'religious freedom' gets taken too far. If the Christian religion, a single entity up until the 1500's, split into over 30,000 entities in a matter of 500 years, was the Protestant Reformation really such a good thing? Now without question, the cause for Reformation was just but were the effects? I should say no, but before you go burning you copy of Institues, consider this: men like Calvin and Luther were not attempting to split the Church but to correct and reshape the way in which the Church worked. They longed for a Church rooted in Scripture; lead according to the decree of the Word, not by the whim of Man. They did not wish to abolish Catholicism, but to repair its flaws that it might better encompass the truth of the gospel. We have, as usual, misinterpreted these mens' intentions and have turned their disagreements into a just cause for our own schisms. This is not the heart of the reformer or of The Reformation. We alone are to blame for the divorces of the Church.

The second topic I wish to call into question appears in the form of a recent fad. The 'Jesus is my Homeboy' brand was a highly popular trend not so long ago, appearing on hats, t-shirts, stickers, etc. 'Jesus is my Homeboy' was yet another way for kids and young adults to express religious sympathies without the social prejudice. It falls into the same category as your everyday 'Hugs Not Drugs' sign or 'Precious Moments' figurine. A sappy and endearing (and might I add dumbed-down) way to refer to the images and the standards of the faith. It is yet another of man's futile attempts to claim authority over God. Indeed, turning the Almighty into our own personal 'Sugar Daddy' is one of our favorite pass times, for we show no reverence for our Creator. Let us then give honest answers to obvious questions, is 'homeboy' a loving, respectful, and fitting term by which to describe the Lord and giver of life, the God of all grace? Are weepy little cherubs an appropriate depiction of the fierce warriors and mighty guardians of the Heavenly gates? Absolutely not! God is not our 'Sugar Daddy'. He is not up there for us, but rather we here for him. After all, who is the creator and who the created, and who are we to assume authority over the one who we would not have our being apart from? How arrogant we are! And how guilty of such prideful treachery! O mighty, Lord, tame thy wrath and forgive us!

Congratulations are in Order

2006-05-19T09:36:00.000-05:00

"That I might be a shepherd
With merry flocks to feed
To care for dearest waywards
And draw them back to Thee."

Heartiest congratulations to my good cousin Brent, soon to be father and sooner to be Seminary graduate. Congratulations old horse (and Noele too)!

The Hidden Nature of a Popular Soft-Drink

2006-04-24T14:09:00.000-05:00

Whoever thought that a word most commonly associated with a Windex flavored soft drink might have once been the makings of something sinister? Could anyone have guessed that the characters we’ve come to love so well, those we’ve determined harmless products of the imagination, (Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, Santa’s Elves) stem from an ancient lineage daemonic in nature and alarming in name? Be honest, did you really know that a majority of the cars we drive are named after some pagan god or another?

The truth is, we live in a society which lauds the ignorant and considers illiteracy worthy of praise. We forget (assuming, of course, that we knew in the first place) how very greatly history affects our everyday lives, how regularly myth makes appearances in reality, how legend shapes the course of our culture and society. Most of all we forget the common denominator of all of these things. What might that be? That they each and every one would be completely useless apart from the language which defines them.

Why then are we so quick to forget, and why do we not pick up on things such as those mentioned above? I attribute it to our atrocious vocabularies. We have such a poor knowledge of our language that we limit our ability to articulate thought in a rational and functional manner. In turn, our ability to comprehend language suffers and, as the result, we not only lose eloquence of speech but eloquence of mind as well. What does it say to the world ---what should it say to us--- when mainland Europeans speak better English than the inhabitants of English speaking nations? Why is it that we cannot characterize the natures of people and/or products despite the fact that their names characterize them for us? Have we become so mentally inert that we fail to comprehend even the most basic symbols? Unfortunately, I should say yes. We have been utterly desensitized by the modern methods of entertainment ---the television, the ipod, the cell phone, the video game console--- that we even overlook those things which require no intellectual deduction to understand. For instance, how many of us would actually be drawn into a moment of silent pondering to consider that complex and fascinating subject known as the universe upon opening a MilkyWay bar? Or that by its name and, therefore, in its nature the MilkyWay is an effort towards the institution of a universal chocolate bar, and, therefore, the M&M chocolate company cherishes communist ideals. Okay so maybe that’s a bit extreme, but you get the point, right? You see, I’m not saying that we should ponder the universe upon each bite of a mediocre chocolate bar, or upon hopping into our Saturn to drive to the market; rather, I’m attempting to draw us into a mindset of definition and observation. A mindset in which we give credit to the fact that the MilkyWay is actually named for something, after something. In which we give credit to those things which seem ordinary, but are in fact inexplicably noteworthy*.

Frankly, words matter and mean more than debased sentence structure and abbreviated type (“[...] the Word was with God and the Word was God.”). They are bound up, just as we, in a covenant with the Almighty (“He was in the beginning with God.”). Does it not then follow that through the Word our covenant was made (“All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”), and should it not also follow that in that covenant, being bound to God, we are so also bound to the Word (“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.”)? It should be our aim, therefore, and our desire, to see them in regard to their convenant distinction. Paid their proper due, that through our adoration, we might grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, for in the Word is the way, the truth, and the light (“The light shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”) and through the word was the majesty of our savior made revealed.

*I assign to you, therefore, two bits of a voluntary homework of sorts: 1) Read Whitney’s post Love, Honor, and Cherish to witness a practical outworking of the topic at hand, and 2) Look up the following subjects in the Dictionary or Encyclopedia most conveniently accessible to you (Note: each of the following contains some pertinence to modern Pop Culture. I am in hopes that through the research of such subjects I will have provided you with sufficient illustrations of the points made in paragraph #2.): Volkswagen, Sprite, Scion, Spree, Nissan, Nano, Nirvana, Incubus, Franz Ferdinand, Mazda.

Broken Limbs Made Whole

2006-04-05T17:39:00.000-05:00

“Then enter’d Sin, and with that Sycamore,
Whose leaves first sheltered man from drought and dew,
Working and winding slyly evermore,
The inward wall and Sommers cleft and tore:
But Grace shor’d these, and cut that as it grew.”
~George Herbert, The World

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
--Matt. 7:13

Looking out of my front window I saw a coupling of trees. Trees of the same nature, the same soil, the same breed, planted on the same day. They’ve grown up together brothers of the selfsame seed. They sit parallel to one another, a driveway on either side and an open lawn between them. Their roots stretch out about them. From the road they give frame to our home; sleek obelisks of Sycamore, broad with green leaves. They provide one of the few places where shade might be obtained on a mid-summers day in our single acre yard.

As I peered at them through the looking glass memories returned: days of climbing, swinging, walking the trail of overgrown roots, jumping ever so high as to reach the great, grassy leaves, and plucking one down for impression’s sake. A token to tame your fairest’s desires. And standing there, staring at them, I couldn’t help but think that they had been identical, one in the same, that at all times one had been paid in as equal regard as the other, yet such was not the case. I’d always favored the one on the left. It was taller and its limbs hung lower. The bark flaked less and the wood was dark and rich. I thought it the perfect tree for climbing. And boy did I climb! I’d clamber up the trunk, careful of my grip and unsure of my feet until I reached my nest, a small and clumsy bunch of branches midway up, just big enough for me to rest in comfortably and with just enough uncertainty to make the laziness exciting. I’d lounge there, listening to the wind in the leaves and staring at the birds above me, for they too nested at the top.

But the jaunts under the limbs had not always been so carefree. There were times when I had jumped and brought down no token, when I had leapt and clasped no limb. But that was the other tree, the one on the right hand side. Its limbs were high and thick; hard to get hold of even if you did manage to reach them. The bark constantly pealed from its trunk to reveal a slick, white wood still more difficult to grasp. Even with your tennis shoes on the climbing was no less difficult, the smooth white timber overcame the tread of the sole leaving traction hard to come by. The soil about the tree was strewn with rocks. Rocks which struck up from the dirt and caused the ground to go uneven, a persecution to the ankles to be sure. Nonetheless, the grass grew mossy about its roots. The tree prospered. It grew up great and took wonderful form, for on its side was a wellspring overflowing with the passing wet of weather. A bubbling nutrient with which no rock or hard place could hope to contend. So the tree grew, rich, stretching its arms towards the sky like a child’s fingertips groping the unknown heights of countertops. With something sweet in mind the tree pined for sun and rain set upon a high shelf.

Truly it was a beautiful tree. More lovely than its brother in every respect, but its brother held my appeal and its brother I could attain. So to him was it that I returned. Cleaved to the nest of my unease I went and each time I would go I saw yet another flaw in his bandy form. Once I saw that upon his left he was pruned too thin, again and I saw how drooped his limbs, and again I saw his barren cap, his dying roots, his mealy sap. I stood, just at his base, in wonderment. Wonderment at how I had held him so long in high favor.

I began to pull away. My feet became more accustomed to rocky soil as my attempts at scaling the height of the right tree became more frequent. I lost all regard for tokens; instead, the sap of his branches became my desire, the view from his summit my reward. Nothing else would, could suffice. My attempts became more frequent still and with each attempt a failure. Knees were scraped, elbows bruised, and sweat flowed like tears. The palms of my hands callused with the recurring torture of splinter in flesh. I grew reluctant. And my reluctancy would well up and fall back, ebb and flow like the turning of the tides sometimes within a moment, often within a span. I grew reluctant, some years passed and my efforts continued unsuccessfully. I went on leaping and pawing my way into the lowest limbs, but it was there that my feet failed me, my muscles weakened and went lax, my grip slackened and failed my trust. I could go no further up. It is was if, though I wore no bonds, I was chained to the ground. Nonetheless, with each passing day the chain was weakened, the metal rust and turned to grout. The chain did break and, upshot, I took down a leaf from the highest limb. The chain did break; that day I reached the top.

2006-03-30T11:17:00.000-06:00

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag Herr van Gogh!

Infortuna Major

2006-03-13T20:55:00.000-06:00

dies Saturni - Saturn: Roman god of the harvest; Greek: Cronus.

Associated element: Earth
Nature: Cold and Dry
Day of the Week: Saturday
Associated Humour: Melancholic (Black bile)
Dominant Influence: Contemplatives/ Thinkers/ Philosophers
Alchemic Property: Lead

Lewis tells us of Saturn: "In the earth his influence produces lead; in men, the melancholy complexion; in history, disastrous events. In Dante, his sphere is the Heaven of contemplatives. He is connected with sickness and old age. Our traditional picture of Father Time with the scythe is derived from earlier pictures of Saturn. A good account of his activities in promoting fatal accidents, pestilence, treacheries, and ill luck in general occurs in The Knight's Tale (A 2463 sq.). He is the most terrible of the seven and is sometimes called The Greater Infortune, Infortuna Major.

dies Saturni: 'Saturn's Day.'

Anglo-Saxon: sater daeg;
French: samedi; Italien: sabato; Spanish: sabado
German: Samstag; Dutch: zaterdag; Swedish: Lördag
Danish and Norse: Lørdag ('washing day')

On the sixth day God created man and the beasts of the land. Saturn, the god of both unfortunate events/ death and of the harvest, fits well into the mold of the sixth day. Consider, God brought forth man through the creation of Adam, the sin of Adam begat the fall, and by Adam's sin Christ was declared 'the seed who crushes the serpent's head' (Gen. 3:15). Thus, Saturn's attributes and connection with the sixth day lies with the creation man, the harvester of sin and the root of the greatest disaster, the Fall.

A Brief Break

2006-02-27T21:48:00.000-06:00

As a quick respite from the planet series, I thought perhaps something ever more beffudling might be in order. In reading Spencer's The Faerie Queene, I came across mention of Sirius, the Dog-Star. This led me through a whole slew of tangents to come across two things. 1) A page dedicated to the study of Sirius (the star that is) and 2) a summary (in essence) of Granger's Looking for God in Harry Potter written by Granger himself (okay, so maybe this isn't a respite from the planet blogs). Upon close study of the two I think it might be assumed that Sirius still has some role to play in the Potter works and that Harry, though he may not die in the fight against Voldemort, has to transform (quite literally) into his pure and golden form. This will require a figurative (or literal) death and transformation into the spiritual realm of perfection and purification. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now and allow the real knowledgeable writers to do the talking.

Granger Article
Studies with Sirius

The Fortuna Minor

2006-02-27T16:35:00.000-06:00

dies veneris; Venus: goddess of love. Greek: Aphrodite; Norse: Frigg

Associated Element: Water
Nature: Cold and Moist
Day of the Week: Friday
Associated Humour: Phlegmatic (Phlegm)
Dominant Influence: Isn't is obvious?
Alchemic Property: Copper

Lewis makes note of Venus' quality in The Discarded Image: "In beneficence Venus stands second only to Jupiter; she is Fortuna Minor. Her metal is copper. The connection is not clear till we observe that Cyprus was once famed for its copper mines; that copper is cyprium, the Cyprian metal; and that Venus, or Aphrodite, especially worshipped in that island, was [...], the Lady of Cyprus. In mortals she produces beauty and amorousness; in history, fortunate events. Dante makes her sphere the Heaven not, as we might expect from a more obvious poet, of the charitable, but of those, now penitent, who in this life loved greatly and lawlessly. Here he meets Cunizza, four times a wife and twice a mistress, and Rahab the Harlot (Paradiso, IX). They are in swift and incessant flight (VIII, 19-27)-- a likeness in unlikeness to the impenitent and storm-borne lovers of Inferno, V."

dies veneris- "Venus' Day". Venus became associated with Friday due to her Germanic origin. In the Norse, Venus was known as Frigg. As such, in early high German, Friday was known as 'frigedag'. Through the evolution of language, Frigg turned to Freia, a name containing the Indo-European root 'frei,' meaning 'to love'. Thus, Friday became the common name for the fifth day of the week ('Frei', by the way, forms the basis of English's 'friend' and 'free').

French: vendredi; Italian: venerdi; Spanish: viernes.
German: Freitag ; Dutch: vrijdag

On the fifth day of Creation, God created the birds of the air and the beasts of the sea. Now the most obvious connection with Venus here is that, according to myth, Venus was born from the sea. But perhaps more tangible evidence will arise when I tell you that multiple underwater creatures belong to the Venus, Venerupis, and other Venus-related genera under the family Veneridae (Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species). These creatures are mostly mollusks inhabiting what became known as 'Venus shells' (shells with clearly defined growth lines (these inevitably create logarithmic spirals(the shape of the golden rectangle, hurricanes, and even the universal make-up. Though this is not exact))). As a matter of fact, in German, the word for 'clam' is 'Venusmuschel'. Literally translated 'the venus muscle'. But all rabbit trails aside, this should be sufficient evidence as to why Venus became associated with the fifth day.

If still you remain in doubt I have but one thing to say... "love-birds".

Fortuna Major

2006-02-20T18:52:00.000-06:00

dies Pater- 'the shining father'. Jupiter (or Jove)- the god of light and sky; protector of law and state. Greek- Zeus; Norse- Thor

Associated element: Air
Nature: Hot and Moist
Day of the Week: Thursday
Associated Humour: Sanguine (blood)
Dominant Influence: Kings and Princes
Alchemic Property: Tin

Lewis discusses Jupiter saying: "Jupiter, the king, produces in the earth, rather disappointingly, tin; this shining metal said different things to the imagination before the canning industry came in. The character he produces in men would now be very imperfectly expressed by the word 'jovial', and is not very easy to grasp; it is no longer, like the saturnine character, one of our archetypes. We may say it is Kingly; but we must think of a King at peace. enthroned, taking his leisure, serene. The Jovial character is cheerful, festive yet temperate, tranquil, magnanimous. When this planet dominates we may expect halcyon days and prosperity. In Dante wise and just princes go to his sphere when they die. He is the best planet, and is called The Greater Fortune, Fortuna Major."

Jupiter's day is Thursday. The Romans called it dies Jovis, 'Jove's Day', and the Norse named it Torsdag for Thor, their equvalent of Jupiter.

Italian: giovedi; Spanish: jueves; French: jeudi
German: Donnerstag; Dutch: donderdag

Interestingly enough, Jupiter (or Thor or whatever you wish to call him) is the god associated with thunder and lightning. As such, the German Donnerstag literally means 'Thunder Day."

Scripture tells us that on the fourth day of creation God shaped the heavenly bodies. In other words, God created the Sun, the Moon, and the stars (and presumably the rest of the planets). It is only fitting, therefore, that Jupiter, the 'dies Pater' and lordliest of planets, has his name brand upon the fourth day of the week. Now you may be thinking "Sol too could be considered the lord of the planets, we know he sits in the center of the universe and he, after all, was the one mentioned in Genesis." Indeed, Sol is a likely candidate, an indeed, the medievals have that covered. If you would please recall our discussion of Dante's 9 rings of Heaven you would quickly remember that Sol takes the position of the fourth planet when the earth is considered the center of the universe. Correspondingly, I would like to offer up a good-humored "Haha" on behalf of the Medievals.

Oh yes! Let me not forget to mention (if you've yet to notice) that Fortuna Major was at one time the password into the Gryffindor Common Room. This opens up alot of doors (quite literally!). The Gryffin is a lordly, brave, and noble beast, half lion and half eagle. Aside from Jupiter being the noblest of planets, his symbol and messenger is the eagle. Not to mention the fact that Jupiter forms the Capitoline triad with Juno and Minerva. Minerva is of course the name of Gryffindor's Head of House, Professor Minerva McGonagall. Nothing gets past that J. K. Rowling.

Mercibus Praeest

2006-02-15T17:56:00.000-06:00

Mercibus Praeest- the patron of profit; Mercury- the god of Language, Learning and Literature. Also Hermes, Hermione (Granger if you wish. I know I do).

Associated element: Aether (the fifth element)
Nature: Cool, of the Vital Force
Day of the Week: Wednesday
Dominant Organ: the Heart
Dominant Influence: Clerks
Alchemic Property: Quicksilver

Clive Staples Lewis tells us: "Mercury produces quicksilver. Dante gives his sphere to beneficient men of action. Isidore, on the other hand, says this planet is called Mercurius because he is the patron of profit (mercibus praeest). Gower says that the man born under Mercury will be 'studious' and 'in writinge curious',
bot yit with somdel besinesse
his hert is set upon richesse.
(Confessio, VII, 765.)
The Wife of Bath associates him especially with clerks (D 706). In Martianus Capella's De Nuptiis he is the bridegroom of Philologia--- who is Learning or even Literature rather than what we call 'philology'. And I am pretty sure that 'the Words of Mercury' contrasted with 'the Songs of Apollo' at the end of Love's Labour's Lost are 'picked', or rhetorical prose. It is difficult to see the unity in all these characteristics. "Skilled eagerness' or bright alacrity' is the best I can do. But it is better just to take some real mercury in a saucer and play with it for a few minutes. That is what 'Mercurial' means."

Called dies Mercurii by the Romans, Wednesday was a day initially named for the god Wodan (Odin). Again we see the Germanic and Romantic influences appear.

Italian: mercoledi; Spanish: miércoles; French: mercredi.
German: Mittwoch; Dutch: woensdag.
The name loses all its significant meaning in German as 'Mittwoch' literally means mid-week.

According to Scripture, on the third day of creation, God molded the land, gave richness to the soil, and created vegitation of every sort. It is only appropriate then that Mercury, the 'patron of profit' and the seeker of those things of rich merit, would be associated with this day.

In closing I must advise against the advice of Mr. Lewis. Please do not play with Mercury in a sauce pan, it can be lethal.

Infortuna Minor

2006-02-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

dies Martis- Mars; the Roman god of war; Tyr in Norse mythology.

Associated element: Fire
Nature: Hot and Dry
Day of the Week: Tuesday
Associated Humour: Choleric (Yellow Bile)
Dominant Influence: Warriors and Martyrs
Alchemic Property: Iron

"Mars makes iron," says C.S. Lewis. "He gives men the martial temperment, 'sturdy hardiness', as the Wife of Bath calls it (D 612). But he is a bad planet, Infortuna Minor. He causes wars. His sphere, in Dante, is the Heaven of martyrs; partly for the obvious reason but partly, I suspect, because of a mistaken philological connection between martyr and Martem."

Named after the Norse god Tyr and later adapted by the Romans to suit the name of Mars, Tuesday bears the image of the war-god. We can easily witness this transition by studying a choice of foreign languages.

French: mardi; Italian: martedi; Spanish:martes; German: Dienstag; Swedish: tisdag; Dutch: tirsdag or dinsdag.

The German 'Dienstag' means "Assembly Day" and is very much appropriate for a planet associated with the sturring up of armies.

Very much, the image of Mars in every appearence is significant of the soldier. More specifically, however, he represents the Roman Legionnaire. It is in this fact that we find connections to Biblical imagery. For while the Roman soldier is not a Biblical image, they were witness to the most famous of Biblical images, the crucifixion of Christ. As a matter of fact, the "mistaken philological connection" Lewis speaks of concerns just this issue. You see, while the word martyr refers to the spirit of sacrifice, Martem most likely stems from the Greek word martus meaning 'witness'. This implies a great and many things. Not only that the Roman warrior was witness to the death of the great martyr Christ but that the Roman empire was founded upon a warring mind and pagan spirit. What's more, it could be said that these words, bearing in mind their connections with Christ and the Roman empire, foreshadow the Christian persecutions to follow in Rome. Almost as if they proclaim Christian martyrdom over the applause of the Roman onlooker.

Thus, when we look to the days of Creation and see that on the second day God separated the waters covering the Earth and the expanse of Heaven from the Earth, we see that the second day of the week is in every respect a day of conflict, separation, and disjoint and could, therefore, be the host of no other planet but Mars.

Wander-lust and Lunacy

2006-02-13T19:59:00.000-06:00

Luna- the goddess of the Moon.

Associated element: Water
Nature: Cold and Moist
Day of the Week: Monday
Associated Humour: Phlegmatic (Phlegm)
Dominant Influence: Travellers and Lunatics
Alchemic Property: Silver

"At Luna we cross[. . .] from aether to air, from 'heaven' to 'nature', from the realm of the gods (or angels) to that of daemons, from the realm of necessity to that of contingence, from the incorruptible to the corruptible. Unless the 'great divide' is firmly fixed in our minds, every passage in Donne or Drayton or whom you will that mentions 'translunary' and 'sublunary' will lose its intended force. We shall take 'under the moon' as a vague synonym, like our 'under the sun', for 'everywhere', when in reality it is used with precision. When Gower says
We that dwelle under the Mone
Stand in this world upon a weer
(Confessio, Prol. 142)
he means exactly what he says. If we lived above the Moon we should not suffer weer (doubt, uncertainty). When Chaucer's Nature says
Ech thing in my cure is
Under the Moone that mai wane and waxe
(Canterbury Tales, C 22)
she is distinguishing her mutable realm from the translunary world where nothing grows or decreases. When Chaucer says 'Fortune may non angel dere' in the Monk's Tale (B 3191) he is remembering that angels inhabit the aetherial realm where there is no contingence and therefore no luck, whether good or bad.

"Her metal is silver. In men she produces wandering, and that in two senses. She may make them travellers so that, as Gower says, the man born under Luna will 'seche manye londes strange' (VII, 747). In this respect the English and the Germans are much under her influence (ibid. 751-4). But she may also produce 'wandering' of the wits, especially that periodical insanity which was first meant by the word lunacy, in which the patient, as Langland says (C x, 107), is 'mad as the mone sit, more other lasse'. These are the 'dangerous, unsafe lunes' of the Winter's Tale (II, ii, 30); whence (and on other grounds) lunes in Hamlet (III, iii, 7) is an almost certain emendation for Quarto's meaningless browes Folio's unmetrical lunacies. Dante assigns the Moon's sphere to those who have entered the conventual life and abandoned it for some good or pardonable reason."

With those words Lewis gives us a detailed summary of Luna and her qualities taking particular care to relate her appearences in Medieval literature, poetry, etc. and to depict the mindset of Christendom regarding her affects. If you found Lewis' description a tad on the confusing side, worry not. That's just the point! It is good for us to, on a daily basis if possible, make ourselves feel stupid. Or, if not stupid, small and insignificant. It was Teddy Roosevelt, in fact, who would regularly call on an astronomer friend to stand out under the stars and discuss the heavens. After some minutes of listening to the astronomer chat about the planets and point out constellations Roosevelt would say "Alright, we can go back inside now. I feel small enough."

Luna or the Moon pertains to Monday. 'Monday' comes from the Anglo-Saxon word monandaeg meaning "the moon's day." Just like with Sunday, differences appear between the Romantic and Germanic roots:
French: lundi; Italien: lunedi; and Spanish: lunes
Dutch: maandag; English: Monday; German: Montag

While it is impossible to know exactly whether or not the first day of creation occured on a Sunday or a Monday, I have faith in the latter. For while we often consider Sunday the first day of the week, we also consider it the Sabbath and day of rest. Thus, for our purposes, we shall assume the first day of creation occured on a Monday. According to Scripture, on the first day God created the heavens and the earth. He then created light, and separated the light from the darkness to create night and day. We should already see the connections with Luna evident here. You see, the Sun and Moon were the symbolic representations of God's movement around the earth, and while the heavenly bodies were not created until the fourth day they are the Lords over the night and day nonetheless. Other less significant associations between the Moon and the first day of creation are possible aslo. One possibility, for instance, is the Moon's influence over the seas. It has been said that the Moon's gravitational pull coupled with that of the Earth causes the waves to rise and fall upon the shore. And Genesis 1: 2 tells us that the waters covered the Earth throughout the first day thus creating a slim connection between the Earth, the Moon, and the first day.

Such is the significance of Luna.

Moral lesson to take away from this blog:
"If you ever feel like you’re on top of the world, look up (and be witness to your own insignificance)." ~Frederick H. Baxter

Deus Sol Invictus

2006-02-12T17:58:00.000-06:00

Deus Sol Invictus- "the unconquered sun god."
Sol- Latin: the sun; in the Greek: Helios.

Associated element: Fire
Nature: Hot and Dry
Day of the Week: Sunday
Associated Humour: Choleric (Yellow Bile)
Dominant Influence: Monarchs
Alchemic Property: Gold

C. S. Lewis notes the character of Sol and his mention throughout the history of Christendom in The Discarded Image:

"Sol is the point at which the concordat between the mythical and astrological nearly breaks down. Mythically, Jupiter is the King, but Sol produces the noblest metal, gold, and is the eye and mind of the whole universe. He makes men wise and liberal and his sphere is the Heaven of theologians and philosphers. Though he is no more metallurgical than any other planet his metallurgical operations are more often mentioned than theirs. We read in Donne's Allophanes and Idios how soils which the Sun could make into gold may lie too far from the surface for his beems to take effect. Spencer's Mammon brings his hoard out to 'sun' it. If it were already gold, he would have no motive for doing this. It is still hore (grey); he suns it that it may become gold. Sol produces fortunate events."

Lewis' summary is concise, but within it lies a plethora of historical and literary truth. For instance, the 'Heaven' Lewis mentions derives from the Medieval literary reckonings of Dante. In Paradiso, Dante expounds upon a heaven consisting of nine spheres. One sphere for each of the seven planets, one for the fixed stars, and one in for the resting place of God. You will notice that Dante aligned these spheres in an order progressing from the earth outward. He did so for two reasons. 1) Medieval astronomers believed that the earth, not the sun, was at the center of the universe and that the seven planets revolved around and, in turn, acted upon it. 2) As Lewis notes more fully in The Discarded Image, the medievals believed in 3 realms of activity, that of the earth, the aether or sky, and the heavens. They believed that the daylight veiled the activities of the heavenly bodies but that at night the curtain was pulled back and the heavenly realm revealed. Thus, when gazing up at the stars, the medieval thought himself to be peering into the very heart of the heavens; a thought most contrary to the modern conception of staring out into space. The order of the heavens, therefore, follow as:

1. Moon 2. Mercury 3. Venus 4. Sun 5. Mars 6. Jupiter 7. Saturn 8. Fixed Stars 9. Primum mobile- Prime Mover (God)

From a literary perspective, Dante creates a wonderfully constructed chiasmus between the 9 circles of hell, the 9 spheres of heaven, and purgatory in the center. Moreover, through the utilization of such rhetorical structure, not to mention the confines of the poetic verse form, Dante provides us with a beautiful picture of a Gospel principle: only when working within the boundaries of Biblical objective standard can you attain true creative freedom.

With all that said, back to the main subject.

Each planet correlates with a day of the week. Sol or the Sun correlates with Sunday (dies solis: 'the sun's day'). This is obvious. However, we must temporarily escape the realm of the obvious to regard more subtle matters. For instance, if we study the Romance languages we unconver alternative definitions for 'Sunday'. Latin's dominico, meaning 'the day of God,' is of note. It is the root of the Spanish (domingo), Italian (domenico), and French (dimanche) words for Sunday. With this definition in mind, it easy to recall that Sunday has, since the creation of time, been a day set apart. The day of rest according to Scripture; also, the day of church going. I see no coincidence, therefore, in the fact that Dante's 4th sphere of heaven (the Sun's sphere) is reserved for theologians and philosophers, the students of religious thought.

The same conclusions can be drawn concerning all of the planets and days of the week, both etymologically and symbolically. We shall do so in the days to come.

Medieval Alchemy and Astrology: A statement of purpose

2006-02-08T21:22:00.000-06:00

Mankind has always been a tad weary about the practices of alchemy and astrology, particularly in regards to the more controversial elements of the latter (i.e. the signs of the zodiac, horoscopes, etc). No doubt, such unease is of well merit, for these are not practices to be approached lightly or with ill-concern. Nonetheless, as a nerd, it is my concern to ponder some of the more fascinating components of these and other medieval sciences.

In this and 7 blogs to come, I long to delve into the mind of the medievals and to consider their outlook on the heavenly bodies. As the result, I long to affect the same regard for the natural world in the hearts of modern man as was present in the hearts of our European ancestry (or so I shall try). My focus within these 7 publications shall not so very much concern the more contentious elements of astrology named above, as that is not my aim; rather, my focus will take root within the patterns of the 7 planets subject to the scrutiny of Christendom and her Astronomers. Their connections to the medicinal sciences and capabilities of the day (most centrally pertaining to the bodily humours), the conflict and controversy surrounding their pagan heritage, and their subsequent appearances in art, language, and history shall be readily discussed. In so doing, it is my hope that their appearences in the modern day might be more knowledgeably critiqued and understood.

But before we delve into the effects of alchemy and astrology on humanity (bodily humours, weather, and time all included), we should study the essential natures and principles of each practice. In my preperatory studies, I found two books particularly insightful. The first being The Discarded Image by C. S. Lewis, the second, Magic in the Middle Ages by Richard Kieckhefer. Both books quiet masterfully depict the medieval mindset in regard to the aforementioned subjects and provide practical examples of such ideas as drawn from the chronicles of the age. For our immediate purpose, however, I wish us to look at Magic in the Middle Ages. Kieckhefer provides fairly detailed sections devoted to both practices in the sixth chapter of his work, and because he explains them far better than I ever could, I shall let his words do the describing for me. Firstly, astrology:

“Astrology presupposed a certain view of astronomy, or the way the cosmos was structured. Certain facts would have seemed obvious to any medieval European: during the course of the day the sun travels in an arch across the southern sky, from east to west; at night the moon proceeds in a similar though not identical path. Both of these heavenly bodies would be known as “planets.” With some astronomical education an observer could learn to distinguish five other planets moving across the sky in essentially the same way, though at different speeds: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Further from Earth but still traveling along roughly the same path were twelve constellations that made up the “zodiac”: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, and the rest. Whereas the planets moved at various rates of speed, the constellations of the zodiac traveled in a regular progression. The entire series of constellations would travel across the southern sky, then loop around beneath the Earth, while the planets were traversing their own more complex routes along the same basic path.
“This much would have been accepted as non-controversial in medieval educated company. Because everyone recognized that the planets and stars of the zodiac circled the Earth in regular progression, the zodiac itself became a symbol for the passage of time, and was represented as such in various artistic contexts. Signs of the zodiac might occur, for example, in books of hours or prayerbooks for the laity. Their use did not commit an artist or author to any theory about the influence that the stars and planets exerted. The zodiac by itself was, in modern times, astronomical rather than specifically astrological.
“Yet most Europeans would also have recognized that these planets and stars, […], did influence human affairs in various ways. Precisely what influence they held was intensely controversial. The sun had obvious effects: it illuminated things, heated them, and dried them out. But astrologers held that the sun, which is far more noble than earthly fire, could do many other things as well […]. So too could the other heavenly bodies. All the planets and stars […] had some measure of power over earthly affairs, although it might be difficult to determine the nature and degree of a heavenly body’s influence. The degree of power exerted by one of these bodies depended partly on its position in the sky […].
“If one knew the identity and position of each planet and star one could in large measure gauge the degree of its impact. The nature of that influence, on the other hand, was inherent in each star and planet, not something relative to its position in the sky. Each planet had its own nature, effects, and areas of influence […].
“The planets and stars exerted special influence at certain times, particularly at birth […]” or at “any critical juncture in life […]. To speak of certain people as “Sagittarians,” for example, is to say that they were born at a time of year when the sun was traveling in conjunction with Sagittarius. Modern popular lore has made this factor the very essence of astrology, but in astrological science it was merely one of numerous factors to be weighed in making any prediction. Among the many further complications is the association of the planets with constellations[…].
“These were the basic principles on which astrology rested. But whether its principles were correct or not was a controversial question, and many would have challenged them” (St. Augustine, Isidore of Seville, and Gregory the Great included to varying levels of degree). However, “In later medieval Europe, certain basic applications of astrology were noncontroversial: its influence on the human body and on climate was generally accepted, and thus there was little objection to its use in healing or in predicting the weather.”

Secondly, alchemy:

“The essential point of alchemy is to discover the elixir or “philosopher’s stone,” which can transmute lead or other base metals into gold and silver. In their search for this elixir alchemists would spend years working over increasingly complex furnaces and laboratories, attempting to refine, sublimate, fuse, and otherwise transform their various chemicals. In the process they produced much improvement in the tools of experimentation; their furnaces and stills, for example, contributed to the techniques of later chemical experimentation.
“Alchemists assumed an intricate system of affinities between chemicals and other forms of being. Like the astrologers they assumed a consonance between microcosm and macrocosm. For their purposes this link was suggested most fundamentally by the association between metals and planets: between gold and the sun, silver and the moon, iron and Mars, quicksilver and Mercury, and so forth. They thought that observation of the heavens could show the most favorable time for working with these metals and other chemicals […].
“Like astronomy, alchemy rested on philosophical principles most clearly and authoritatively stated by Aristotle and developed by scholastic philosophers. Of particular importance was the notion that all matter was reducible to four elements (earth, air, fire, and water), which are further reducible to “prime matter.” If all metals are composed of these same basic elements in various portions, then should it not be possible to recombine the elements to obtain other, higher forms of matter? This was the alchemists’ dream.“Why […] did so many intelligent people take alchemy seriously? Partly, no doubt, because hope sprang eternal. Partly because other research was being done under the name of alchemy. But also because the allure of secret knowledge was in itself strong, and even stories of wretched failure could not deter those romantic intellects who craved the fascination of deep and mysterious learning.”

Kieckhefer discusses these two studies in much greater detail in his work, but for our need, the essentials will suffice. For the idea I'm trying to place before you is that these are not simply silly sciences that we Christians should throw away without even the slightest consideration. Quite to the contrary, these are fascinating subjects that, upon consideration, open the doors to various realms of study, and with even the slightest understanding one can come to comprehend the many artistic and historical influences resultant from the astrological and alchemical studies of the Medieval age. You see, because religion and community was at the heart of the lifestyle of Christendom, medieval artisans and practitioners worked not only to refine the physical, but also to refine the spirit. Alchemists were not some race of greedy little pirates thirsty for pocket change, they were men desirous to transform the base metal of their spirits into pure gold worthy of eternity. Astrologers, I imagine, had more in mind than predicting the outcome of your business ventures and relations with the opposite sex. Their studies pertained to medicine, to meteorology, to the betterment and protection of their fellow men. It goes to show you the distorting power of modern man when combined with the pagan doctrines of ancient ones.

In the next 7 blogs I hope to plunge into these studies further, and I plan to do so with the 7 planets as my realm of focus. I plan to devote a blog to each planet, giving the astrological and alchemic properties of each, connecting them with the human condition, setting apart their roles in the stories of history, and referring to their applications and appearances in the present day. God willing.

*Illuminated manuscript taken from Norton’s Ordinal of Alchemy; “Alchemist’s laboratory”

Fire and Water

2006-02-02T17:35:00.000-06:00

Centuries of literature have concerned themselves with the epic struggle between good and evil. The subject is present, to some degree, in every literary work, and what most often distinguishes the faces of these conflicting sides is a matter of temperature. Fire and ice have long acted as metaphors of good and evil, and yet in modern society, the qualities of these elements have been forgotten and thus distorted.

Modernity, being a product of the pagan Renaissance, defines matters of good and evil through action. In other words, goodness and evil concern not who or, perhaps more appropriately, what someone is, but what they do. Unfortunately, problems arise in such a portrayal. Certainly, it is a simple matter to depict evil through malicious actions, but when attempting to portray goodness, actions fall short. A good deed is of no merit when intended as a means to fulfill a wicked end. A perfect example of such ideas can be seen in the character of Mr. Wickham from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Despite all his appearence of goodness, he is uncovered as a scoundrel; a wolf in sheep's clothing as it were. As Elizabeth says to Jane when discussing Wickham and Darcy, "I'm afraid one has all the goodness and the other all the appearance of it." Wickham being the latter.

As I said above, actions fall short when relied upon to portray goodness and evil; thankfully, many authors realize this (and sadly many more do not) and with a proper understanding of symbol, make remedy. These authors do so in various ways, one of which, and quite possibly the most effective, is by reversing the Enlightenment mindset. By doing so, authors are able to depict good and evil not through a character's deeds alone, but also by their very make-up. A skilled writer can, through the utilization of imagery, action, and symbol, build-up a character so as to, upon close inspection, make goodness or evil evident within their very essence. They can create a creature which, because of its very construct, is so full of either good or evil that it is physically incapable of the other. And that is a great skill.

I say all this to reach a particular goal, one which takes much introduction and some caution, it is the idea that evil, and in particular hell, should be portrayed (metaphorically) through not only the symbol of fire, but also that of ice. This idea can be traced through centuries of literature and takes root in Biblical concepts I find necessary to make plain for the better exploration of the subject; namely, that Satan has no stories, that evil is and should be considered 'the great contradiction,' and that evil's every attempt at greatness and/or power is little more than a debauchery of the true Christian story. If these things may be understood and agreed upon, then the idea named above should not seem all too difficult to grasp.

Let us first expolore the dispositions of these elements and then proceed to ponder them in the context of actual literature.

You may at first scoff at the idea that frozen water could signify a party ever associated with heat, but we must consider the subjects agreed upon above. Have we not said that evil is 'the great contradiction?' If so, then what could better depict evil than ice? Scripture tells us that Satan can and will appear as an angel of light in order that the true and bitter face of evil might be hidden from the subject of temptation (II Corinthians 11: 12-14). It is within this guise that ice takes its stand, for despite all its beauty and allurement, no matter its appearance of refreshment and stability, ice will always prove untrustworthy. Ice cracks and melts, it stings and cuts, and it always brings with it destruction. Ice is in every way a contradiction and its name alone provides sufficient proof. The word ice connotes feelings of bitterness and chill, though when placed to the touch for an extended period, ice turns against itself to burn severely.

Just so does fire burn. Indeed, we mustn't forget fire, for it also has a part to play. Here, the cynic will once more inquire as to how two elements of opposite construction might represent the same noun. I should answer: that is just the point! At least it is in regard to the subject at hand. What better to convey contradiction than contradiction? However, fire contributes to yet another purpose, this time one of completion and fulfillment. We must remember, the path of evil is a path of extremes, of revolutions. Through the unification of fire and ice we see the symbolic outworking of this Gospel notion come into fruition. Fire melts ice to create water that in turn smothers the fire. Smoke is the result. Smoke is temporary and harmful, just like the life of evil. But completion is not found through the insufficiency of evil; rather, fulfillment appears through the steadfastness of good.

So who and/or what then can foster goodness if evil's opposition is itself. Simply, temperence (the only other option (thesis/ antithesis; either it's Biblical or its sin)). Works of literature should, therefore, characterize goodness with pictures of warmth, loving-kindness, concernedness, and contentment. Reformation should stand as its rule and resoluteness its badge. But for fear of portraying goodness as of a realm little higher than that of a Hallmark card, I should like to consider these ideas in light of a much more motivating subject; that is, mythological creatures. Ponder the lists and recall childhood stories and you will come to find that most of the mythological representatives of good were those of a temperate disposition. If you find it a difficult feat to call to mind such creatures, you clearly did not read the right sorts of books as a child; nevertheless, I shall aid your memory: Griffins, Hippogriffs, Centaurs, Fauns, Elves and Unicorns are among the lot. All creatures of temperate mind, body, and spirit. Of course, there are a few exceptions. The Phoenix, for instance, a mythological bird of fire, signifies Christ and should therefore always stand with the ranks of good ( and if you should ever come across a story claiming the contrary, rid yourself of that work as quickly as possible(see Rialb's Blog)). But perhaps the most significant and exceptional analogical representation of the characteristics named above appears in the form of Aslan from C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. I've yet to come across any other literary figure who so well captures the character and nature of Truth as does Aslan (this is no doubt attributed to the fact that Aslan is the Narnian embodiment of the God-Man). However, Lewis is but one of many authors to have utilized the ideas of temperance v. extremes in his works.

Pictured above is an illustration from Dante’s Divine Comedy: The Inferno. Upon reaching the center of hell, Dante finds himself staring into the face of Satan who, utterly defeated, sits embedded in a Lake of Fire completely composed of ice. In addition to Dante's works, various Anglo-Saxon Homilies (available in a work called Anglo-Saxon Spirituality) discuss the bitter and fiery aspects of hell. So also, the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf draws upon the aforementioned notion when the weapons of evil melt (as though ice) at the touch of the kindly hero. Moreover, the topics of fire and ice are continually tossed about within the spectrum of Arthurian legend (see blog conclusion). These symbols appear in more recent centuries as well; most notably, in the works of Tolkien (Ring-Wraiths, Dragons, etc.), Lewis (White Queens/ Witches, winter imagery, mythological creatures, Aslan, etc), George MacDonald (Lilith, mythological creatures, etc.) and J.K. Rowling (Alchemy, the 4 elements, 4 bodily humours, mythology, creatures, dementors etc).

The point I’m attempting to bring across is that Biblical standards encompass every aspect of life. I find this most especially true with regard to symbol, for just as any action or decision can be considered Biblical or sinful (as determined by the principles laid down in Scripture), so too can symbols be in or against accordance with the Christian ideal. Thus, when I see the image of the dragon--- a creature ever significant of Satan and the customs of evil (Job 41)--- made neutral by the likes of Christopher Paolini (author of Aragon and Eldest) or made cute and innocent by the creators of Puff the Magic Dragon and Dragon Tales, I am made aghast. Would anyone ever dream of making the Unicorn evil? Certainly not! Then how could they make the dragon good? In short, they lack a Biblical awareness, and as such, they hinder their ability to accurately portray symbols. The fact of the matter is dragons are not evil because God exercised tyranny and claimed them to be evil; on the contrary, dragons are evil because God exercised omniscience and knew them to be evil. This holds true for God’s every decree. Such being the case, may we rejoice in sovereign and glorious power of our merciful God!

I shall now conclude with a quotation from The Quest of the Holy Grail: "For when the sun, for which we must read Jesus Christ, the one true light, warms the sinner with the fire of the Holy Ghost, the chill and ice of the enemy can do him little hurt if he has fixed his heart on the heavenly sun."

To the End of the Month with Gladness

2006-01-31T20:30:00.000-06:00

Dearest friends, family, and general readers,
I should implore you to forgive my utterly shy and lackadaisical efforts upon this catologue throughout this month of January. My excuses are few and of little importance but I assure you that you were not separate from any thoughts pitiable to be missed. Thus, with the month behind me and riddles before me, I should like to announce up-and-coming blogs for the month of February.

In the next month I hope to consider:
Originality: A word of false-friendship- the contra-Biblical nature of a despicable modern word.
Fire and Water- an in depth look into the symbolic roles of the 2 elements in literary history.
The gods, humours, and all the rest- 7 blogs on the subject of the 7 medieval deities, planets, and their correspondence with every day life.

So are my goals set, may God grant their achievement.
With the greatest regards I can muster,
H. N. Alan

The Crash

2006-01-09T16:53:00.000-06:00

When seven people are involved in an accident at a busy intersection on a Sunday afternoon and not a single person is injured, when your car careens into a ditch through six mailboxes and a street-sign and all that stops the sign from slashing through your mom's head is the sun-visor, when six inches is a matter of walking away unharmed or colliding into a tree and suffering serious injury, there you see God's hand at work and it becomes increesingly less difficult to appreciate the little things in life.

The Double-Headed Axe

2006-01-05T17:15:00.000-06:00

En ma fin est mon commencement et mon commencement ma fin.
In my beginning is my end and in my end is my beginning.

labyrinth- from the latin 'labyrinthus'; derived from the Greek word meaning 'double-axe.'

There are few who have not at one time or another heard the myth of Theseus, Ariadne, the Maze, and the Minotaur (and for those who haven't, shame on you), but who'd have thought that a structure of pagan origin could end up inside a cathedral? In actuality, labyrinths reside in numerous European cathedrals including those at Chartres (pictured), Sens, Amiens, and Reims. Not to mention various others throughout Italy and France. Yet still the question remains, why are there labyrinths in church naves? Craig Wright puts it simply in his fascinating, but tedious, book, The Maze and the Warrior:

The maze is a symbol in Christian theology and art, but its origins predate Christ, extending far back in the civilizations of the ancient world. It is linked to an old Greek myth that spoke of a hero, Theseus, who descended into a dangerous labyrinth to fight an evil creature and save his people from a horrific end. Later, during the Christian Middle-Ages, this pagan hero was transformed into the Savior, and the place of his heroic fight with evil was symbolized by a maze placed near the entry door at many monasteries and cathedrals. As Theseus slew the dreaded Minotaur, so Christ defeated Satan on the day of his resurrection. Thus the church maze and its symbolic meaning grew out of, and remained inextricably tied to, an ancient combat myth[...].

The maze was a symbol that conveyed an astonishing wealth of meanings [...]. As with any symbol, the potency of this sign was directly proportional to the number of its implied meanings. Adding to the allure of the maze was the fact that its significance could change according to the context in which it appeared. Placed on a Cretan coin, a labyrinth alluded to Greek myth; on a pavement in a Roman villa, it marked a line of defense or protection; in a Gothic cathedral, it suggested both death and eternal life. Even the position of the viewer affected the psychological force of the labyrinth; seen as a whole from above, the maze resonated with divine perfection; but experienced from within, it baffled and frightened the spiritual pilgrim[...].

There are many heroes of the maze, be it the maze of Greek mythology, the labyrinth on the floor of a Christian church, or the metaphorical maze of life. This is not surprising, for the characters in every true myth are protean figures that, over the course of the centuries, assume many different forms. But no matter what the name of the hero is, all versions of the story of the maze have a common theme: combat between good and evil.

Indeed the maze did convey a wealth of meanings, primarily those concerning Christ's divinity and incarnation. Wright explores these concepts in the main through the consideration of the form of the maze itself. By doing so, he uncovers a slew of Christian symbolism. First of all, Geographically. Wright calls great attention to the East/ West symbolism of Christianity, noting Christ's movment from east to west and taking care to compare the steps of the maze-walker. Beginning at the entrance of the maze, the walker would move east to the center of the labyrinth; once there, they would retrace the path of the labyrinth, this time to exit moving west. Wright further describes the church maze using the geometric and numeric symbolism inherent in its form. Geometrically, the maze consists of a series of 90 and 180 degree angles set into four equal quadrants within a circle. As such, when viewed from above, the form of a cross clearly appears as the predominant visual. Also, the circle itself upholds symbolic meaning, representing the circular course of Christ's journey from paradise to hell and back as well as the Alpha and Omega quality (without beginning or end; representative of God and Eternity). Within the circle lies the numeric symbolism. For instance, from the center of the maze to the outer ring lay exactly eleven circles. Eleven, being the number associated with dissonance and sinfulness since the time of St. Augustine, represents the forlorn, fearsome, and despondent journey from the descent into hell to the ascent into heaven which the labyrinth imposed. Also enclosed within the numeric symbolism of the maze rests one of Wright's most mentioned topics; that is, retrograde motion. Of all the maze's symbols, perhaps this is the most symbolic. Retrograde, as Wright points out, is the act of moving to and from using the exact same path (moreover, the exact same steps) for both trips. Anyone paying attention will have already made note of the fact that the walker must follow the same path into and out of a church maze, but what Wright uncovers is that along the repeated path of the church maze rest detailed and exact retrogrades. In fact, contained within each maze are two sixteen-segment retrogrades, the center of the maze being the sixteenth segment of retrogrades 2 and 3. As such, on each trip into and out of the labyrinth, the walker encounters 31 retrograde segments (32 when counting the center (Not consequently the number 31 is, according to Jewish and Medieval Christian cabalistic speculation, the number of God)). Thus, each trip through the maze constitutes a double retrograde equalling 64 segments. All these numbers are connected the the number 8 which represents Christ's perfection, and the number 16, obviously the combination of 6 and 10, has been considered the epitome of perfection in Numerology and has connections to Dactylic Hexameter (the poetic form utilized by Homer and if I'm not mistaken appears in some form in the book of Revelation (which, in fact, bears a good deal of focus in The Maze and the Warrior)).

Wright explains retrograde much more efficiently and in much greater detail in The Maze and the Warrior connecting it to the movements of Christ as well as revealing its appearances in music throughout the centuries. He notes the maze's role in the liturgy of the church, in medieval studies such as Astronomy, Astrology, and Alchemy, and he tracks the path of the labyrinth all the way through the Renaissance up to the modern day noting its transformations in both appearance and in meaning. Granted the book, as Mr. Wilbur said, "Could have been about half as long." Wright tends to repeat himself, which becomes dull, but as he lends his focus to the Christian perspective (bringing shame to the Greek/ Renaissance mindset through amiability) and his evident admiration of Bach, seen through the musical sections, excuses his excessive vocabulary to some regard. All in all it was a fascinating read. I offer my recommendation to anyone interested in such matters. But may I suggest reading it with a group of people (particularly those who know alot more about Christian symbolism, themes, and concepts than yourself). Friends, family, and a good professor ought to do it. The book is no real page turner and reading it with a group will make the insights more enlightening and complaint less appealing.

Quotes for Reflection Upon the New Year

2005-12-31T09:17:00.000-06:00

December Thirty-One
Go, my beloved children, live your life.
Wounded, faint, bleeding, never yield the strife.
Stunned, fallen-awake, arise, and fight again.
Before your victory stands, with shining train
Of hopes not credible until they are.
Beyond morass and mountain swells the star
Of perfect love-- the home of the longing heart and brain.
George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul

“Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up.”
~G. K. Chesterton

“To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.”
~G. K. Chesterton

“The surest cure for vanity is loneliness.” –Tom Wolfe

“To see God is the promised goal of all our actions and the promised height of all our joys.”
~St. Augustine in City of God

“Hell is truth seen too late.”
-Thomas Hobbes

"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it."
--Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Obedience is the road to freedom, humility the road to pleasure, unity the road to personality."
- C.S. Lewis

“Blessed is he who expecteth nothing.”
-G.K. Chesterton

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."
-Plato

“The surest way to miss future opportunities is to ignore present ones.”
-Edmund Clowney

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in a circle of those who are.”
-C.S. Lewis

“One must be a wise reader to quote wisely and well.”
~Amos Bronson Alcott

“Discretion in speech is more than eloquence.”
~Francis Bacon

“As you slide down the banister of life, may all the splinters be pointed in the right direction.”
~Old Irish Blessing

“May the Lord keep you in His hand and never close His fist too tight.”
--Irish Blessing

“May the roof above us never fall in, and may we friends gathered below never fall out.”
--Irish Toast

“In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship and never in want.”
--Irish Toast

“May you live to be a hundred years, with one extra year to repent.”
--Irish Toast

“May your troubles be as few and as far apart as my Grandmother’s teeth.”
~Irish Blessing

“May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past.”
~Irish Blessing

January One
Lord, what I once had done with youthful might,
Had I been from the first true to the truth,
Grant me, now old, to do-- with better sight,
And humbler heart, if not brain of youth;
So wilt thou, in thy gentleness and ruth,
Lead back thy old soul, by the path of pain,
Round to his best-- young eyes and heart and brain.
George MacDonald, Diary of an Old Soul

The Vandals of Christianity?

2005-12-26T10:06:00.000-06:00

I was driving on Christmas Eve when I passed a sign indicating the location of a Christmas tree recycling site. Immediately I noticed two things: 1) the sign used the term 'Holiday Trees' rather than the usual 'Christmas Trees' and 2) Some one had come along and, with a sort of sticker reading the word "Christmas", covered the word "Holiday" at an eschewed angle. Now our first reaction would be to applaud, what with the fact that we Christians prefer the use of 'Merry Christmas' over 'Happy Holidays', but we must look beneath the surface of this issue.

First of all, there exists a serious misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the word Holiday. Non-Christians and political-correctness-junkies (in other words liberals) long to eliminate the use of 'Merry Christmas' because it is either too Christian or often just too religious. However, their suggestion for an alternative is no less Christian or less religious. The word 'Holiday' is nothing more than a combination of compound words that when separated become the words 'holy' and 'day.' Thus, when a person says to you 'Happy Holidays' they recognize (often with out recognizing) the season of Christmas as a holy and religious term and by doing so take part in the use of Christian symbolism.

However, we Christians are not much better in our misunderstandings, we either forget or have not been taught the true meaning or importance of the word 'holiday.' As such, when we see 'Happy Holidays' used in place of 'Merry Christmas' we become angered. We long to dispute its usage (though considering the true meaning of the phrase we should be less quick to do so), but because we've not been taught the history of our culture (being the history of the Church) we know not how to. We've been given so little instruction on the means by which to portray the gospel that the result becomes the name of Christ graffitied on an overpass, tattoos that bear Christian imagery, and road-signs that have "Holiday" crossed out and "Christmas" marked in. But actions such as these bid Christians to make use of the very deeds we claim to dispute, thus denying our calling to be Contra Mundum (against the world).

Vandalism is no way to spread the standards of Christ as the act denies the standard, yet the modern church has failed to recognize this at every turn. As the result, “The Christian ideal […]”, as Chesterton says, “has been found difficult and left untried." Moreover, the Church has, in turn, lost its role as the modern educator and religion its title as a means to ‘make a living.’ This is not because they are somehow invalid in modern era but because man has lost his desire for Truth. If the modern church has been a poor educator, we have been all the poorer students. As C.S. Lewis noted, “For every one pupil who needs to be guarded from a weak excess of sensibility there are three who need to be awakened from the slumber of cold vulgarity. The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles but to irrigate deserts.” Truly, we have become a race of vandals, pillaging and plundering.

Poetry in Light of Christmas

2005-12-21T12:27:00.000-06:00

On a winter's night long, long ago
The bells ring loud and the bells ring low,
When high howled wind, and down fell snow.
Carillon, carilla
Saint Joseph, he and Nostre Dame,
Riding on an ass, full weary came
From Nazareth into Bethlehem.
And the small child Jesus smile on you.

And Bethlehem inn they stood before
The bells ring loud and the bells ring more,
The landlord bade them begone from his door
Carillon, carilla
"Poor folk" says he, "must lie where they may,
For the Duke of Jewry comes this way,
With all his train on a Christmas Day."
And the small child Jesus smile on you.

Poor folk that may my carol hear
The bells ring loud and the bells ring clear,
See! God's one child had hardest cheer!
Carillon, carilla.
Men grown hard on Christmas morn;
The dumb beast by and a babe forlorn.
It was very, very cold when our Lord was born
And the small child Jesus smile on you.

Now these were Jews as Jews must be
The bells ring loud and the bells ring clear,
But Christian men in a band are we
Carillon, carilla.
Empty we go, and ill be-dight,
Singing Noel on a winter's night.
Give us to sup by the warm firelight,
And the small child Jesus smile on you.
Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)

When love of us called him to see
If we'd vouchsafe his company,
He left his Father's court, and came
Lightly as a lambent flame,
Leaping upon the hills, to be
The humble King of you and me.
Richard Crashaw (c.1613-1649)

Oh! Winter's chill doth pierce the roots
and cause all leaf and needle fall,
Yet may this be resounding proof
that Christ is King and Lord of all.

For cold this winter's night may be,
that trees of sort stand sturdily;
To watch o'er babe whose birth foretold,
is born the ruler of our world.

Close one awaits to comfort him,
he suffered nails and saws to please;
That lovely child whose face agrin,
would endure much, mankind to ease.

And more shall come to tool and train;
the masters of his Father's hand,
Disciple him with chip and grain,
that child both God and fully man.

Lo! Still another, grown up great,
and hewn as cross for Calvary,
Shall bear the ruler of our race
and wear the blood of man's treaty.

Weep we shall in multitude great,
to witness him in poor estate;
But ne'er shall blossom we again,
as shall we when our Lord ascend.

Truly the trees our Lord upheld,
the great and small from first to last;
Thus kindly, men at Christmas fell
a fur as shall St. Boniface.
Anonymous

Ring oh Bells!
Call forth sweet golden sound,
Roll in exultation;
Call out well!

Sleep dear child,
Rest in peace unbroken
In midst of flocks and your
Mother mild.

Sing oh Choir!
Hymn the child before you,
Sing with lullabys;
Calm his tire.
Anonymous

The Vespers Service and The Magnificat

2005-12-19T10:15:00.000-06:00

Last night, Christ Community Church held the first of what I hope to be many Sunday Evening Vespers Services. Held in the downtown chapel, the service was of a wonderful, litergical model containing antiphonic elements of worship in prayer and song and interspersed with a corresponding lesson. Considering the season of Advent, the lesson pertained to The Magnificat or the Canticle of Mary in Luke 1:46-55. Here, Mary, inspired by God's great blessings upon her, sings out in a sudden verse of joy and praise, and while impromptu and unrehearsed, the song evokes a beautiful picture of the gospel message. Dr. Grant illustrated the beauty of Mary's Canticle in sevenfold:

First, Biblically: The Magnificat is steaped in Old Testament references. Mary quotes some countless multitude of Scriptures just within these few short verses (including various quotations from the books of Job, Isaiah, and I and II Samuel). Whatsmore, these things simply pour out of her. Mary wasn't a woman of the Word because she was full of grace; rather, she was full of grace because she was a woman of the word.
Second, Confessionally: Mary recognized her humble estate. While her song is personal, it is not about her. She remains, at all times, in full praise and recognition of God's sovereignty (v. 46-49).
Third, Covenantally: Mary thinks beyond her time to the generations that will follow (v. 48 and 50).
Fourth, Integrally: Mary integrates the whole of the gospel into a moment. She connects the dots and at that moment of joy 'gets it.'
Fifth, Restorationally: Mary's song takes God at his word, and in turn, recognizes and believes in the restoring work of Christ (v. 50-55).
Sixth, Eschatologically: Mary looks to the powers of the world and sees their triviality in the grand scheme of Heaven. She looks to and trusts in Christ's redeeming return (v. 51-55).
Seventh, Doxologically: Mary is simply worshipping God, and when she does so, she does not become self-centered, dogmatic, etc. She simply praises God with heart, soul, and spirit filled with joy.

Mary, in this short song, shows us what it means to have the Word of God at the heart of the matter. She sums up, in some three stanzas, the gospel message in all its forms and fashions, and she does all this for the coming of Christmas.

The Magnificat

46 And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me,and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

(In Latin)
Magnificat anima mea Dominum;
Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo,
Quia respexit humilitatem ancillae suae;
ecce enim ex hoc beatam me dicent omnes generationes.
Quia fecit mihi magna qui potens est, et sanctum nomen ejus,
Et misericordia ejus a progenie in progenies timentibus eum.
Fecit potentiam brachio suo;
Dispersit superbos mente cordis sui.
Deposuit potentes de sede, et exaltavit humiles.
Esurientes implevit bonis, et divites dimisit inanes.
Sucepit Israel, puerum suum, recordatus misericordiae suae,
Sicut locutus est ad patres nostros, Abraham et semeni ejus in saecula.

The 12 Days of Christmas

2005-12-15T08:24:00.000-06:00

For anyone who hasn't received an e-mail containing this information (or read about it somewhere before), here is an explaination of the hidden meaning to The 12 Days of Christmas:

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality, which the children could remember.

The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

Two turtledoves were the Old and New Testaments.

Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit-Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit-Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

The ten lords a-leaping were the Ten Commandments.

The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in The Apostles' Creed.

There's no such thing as a little white lie

2005-12-13T22:22:00.000-06:00

I promised not so long ago to blog on the subject of sin -- its nature, how it interconnects, etc.--; the following is the result:

The modern church has a distorted view of sin. We tend to run down the list of the Ten Commandments and say to ourselves, "I've never murdered anyone. I haven't stolen anything, I've not committed adultery, I haven't said any curse words today, and I haven't taken God's name in vain. I never worship false idols, so I must be doing pretty well." The problem is, this ignores the true nature of sin and fails to recognize the character of Pride (moreover it indicates a mindset of man-focused salvation based on works rather than resting in the saving grace of Christ).

Essentially, we have a very Catholic view of sin. We see Christ's atonement as a sort of free reign to iniquity. We allow the knowledge of God's all-sufficient grace to remove the shame from wrongdoing, and in turn, we allow ourselves to lead lives separated from accountability. What we fail to recognize, however, is that there is no such thing as a life separate from accountablity (God's grace grants us freedom, but only through boundaries).

The problem remains that we've not been taught the deeper meaning of sin, its symbolic nature and interwoven quality. We view sin at face value failing to observe the heart of the matter. A heart like a deck of cards or a row of dominos, unstable, and that when acted upon generates a chain reaction resulting in collapse. Truly, a sin cannot exist unaccompanied, for in every offense rests a whole host of others.

Regarding the interwoven character of sin, the ‘Seven Deadly Sins’ (being Pride, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, Envy, and Lust) shall suffice as a simple example. For instance:
Can the sin of gluttony be committed without also committing the sins of greed, lust, and sloth?
Does wrath appear without envy, lust without greed, or greed without gluttony? Could any of these sins make an appearance without an origin in Pride? Certainly not! Commit any one of these sins and you commit them all!

The statement above concerning the 'I havn't dones' should serve as a lovely example of sin's more subtle implications:

Certainly, you may not have killed someone physically, but have you ever 'snubbed' or treated cruelly someone you found less than favourable; wishing they would simply go away, thus murdering them in your heart? You may not have stolen, but have you envied? If so, you are a thief in the eyes of God. Scripture says the thought of Adultery is as vile as the act. You may not have cursed or used God's name vain through speech, but word, thought, and deed can all imply the same sin. Are you not shedding vanity upon the name of God when you drive like a maniac whalst bearing an Icthus and/or Christian bumper sticker on your car? And false idols come in all forms if they deter your focus on God (television, your ipod or cell phone, food, etc.).

Granted we all make these mistakes as we sin by nature and, therefore, cannot but do so (such is our need of grace), but despite our proclivities, we are called to go against the flesh, we are called to good works. The action of the cross was not an act of permission, but an act of mercy and should thus be viewed accordingly. I leave you with the words of Chesterton (whom, as you know, I quote frequently): "To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it."

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

2005-12-10T14:01:00.000-06:00

A professor of mine recently wrote a review of the newly released film version of LWW for Reformation21.com. I am attaching a link as follows to the article:

Wilbur's Review

On Signs and Symbols

2005-12-09T15:23:00.000-06:00

"All high things can be spoken only in figures; these figures, having to do with matters too high for them, cannot fit intellectually; they can be interpreted truly, understood aright, only by such as have the spiritual fact in themselves. When we speak of a man and his soul, we imply a self and a self, reacting on each other: we cannot divide ourselves so; the figure suits but imperfectly. It was never the design of the Lord to explain things to our understanding-nor would that in the least have helped our necessity; what we require is a means, a word, whereby to think with ourselves of high things: that is what a true figure, for a figure may be true while far from perfect, will always be to us. But the imperfection of his figures cannot lie in excess. Be sure that, in dealing with any truth, its symbol, however high, must come short of the glorious meaning itself holds. It is the low stupidity of an unspiritual nature that would interpret the Lord's meaning as less than his symbols. The true soul sees, or will come to see, that his words, his figures always represent more than they are able to present; for, as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are the heavenly things higher than the earthly signs of them, let the signs be good as ever sign may be." ~George MacDonald

J. K. Rowling and Medievalism

2005-12-07T21:46:00.000-06:00

Anyone privileged enough to have meaning-
fully studi-
ed the era
of Christen-
dom under-
stands the li-
near quality
and connect-
edness of each and every medieval practice (including literature, Astronomy, Botany ---better referred to as Herbology---, etc). What’s more, anyone who has read the Harry Potter books has witnessed J. K. Rowling’s great comprehension of such practices. From Alchemy, Mythology, and the Christian Calendar, to the four elements and four bodily humours, the Potter series simply overflows with Medieval concepts. Keeping this in mind, when I happened (while perusing jkrowling.com) upon a list, utilized by Mrs. Rowling in the conception of Philosopher's Stone, I couldn't help but include it in a post. This list bears the medieval classes of wood associated with their particular time of the year. Rowling employed this list to categorize the types of wood used in each character's wand (take notice of the fact that Harry, Hermione, and Ron's wands all coincide with their Birthdays while the other characters' wands do not. See what I mean about linear quality and connectedness). So, with no more ado:

Celtic Woods for the Year’s Cycle

Dec. 24- Jan.20 = Birch (Beth)
Jan.21- Feb. 17 = Rowan (Luis)
Feb. 18- March 17 = Ash (Nion)
March 18- Apr. 14 = Alder (Fearn)
Apr. 15- May12 = Willow (Saille)
May 13- June 9 = Hawthorne (Huath)
June 10- July 7 = Oak (Duir)
July 8- August 4 = Holly (Tinne)
August 5- Sept. 1 = Hazel (Coll)
Sept. 2- Sept. 29 = Vine (Muin)
Sept. 30- Oct. 27 = Ivy (Gort)
Oct. 28- Nov. 24 = Reed (Ngetal)
Nov. 25- Dec. 23 = Elder (Ruis)

The Golden Booklet

2005-12-05T20:47:00.000-06:00

"I am not fit to write copiously, because I love brevity. But I might try in the future; and, otherwise, I shall leave the task to others."
John Calvin certainly fulfilled these his own words in the writing of The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, or at least I should think so, exeeding no more than 95 pages and readable in but one short sitting. Yet despite its deminutive length, I've come across few other works of the sort that so well address any number of matters regarding the Christian mindset (so few in fact that only one other bears mentioning; that being The Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love by St. Augustine (of Hippo)) Truly, as of yet, no other book has effected (through conviction and encouragement) my mindset as has The Golden Booklet.

To summarize, Calvin uses simple and concise language to beautifully assess the condition of the human spirit, placing the reader's focus on the recognition of the great sin of sins, Pride, and, moreover, on the redeeming work of Christ (I shall soon come about with a blog on the matter of the interconnection of sins, the fall, and modern man's lack of understanding in regard to such an interconnection (Pride will be of forward mention)). What better times to read such a work than during the seasons of Advent and/or Lenten- and Eastertides when it is our duty to recount and repent of our great and many sins and to reflect and rejoice for the saving sacrifice of Christ; that is, the sacrifice of taking on the fallen flesh of man and, in turn, becoming sin for man! Calvin proceeds to specifically discuss topics of contentment and The Golden Rule as well as the proper Christian view of catastrophe, adversity, illness, suffering, and death.

I offer my recommendation to the reading of this book to anyone seeking a correct, indepth, and easily-understandable summary of Christian doctrine. I myself plan to add this to my list of 'once a year reads' in future.

Three Moral Lessons

2005-12-02T12:02:00.000-06:00

"For it is an old proverb: Contraries are cured by contraries. For they who do what is forbidden without restraint ought to restrain themselves even from what is allowed."
Celtic Spirituality pg. 231 section 14.

"If you are idle, be not solitary; if you are solitary be not idle." ~Samuel Johnson

"Every man must say what he says and do what he does according to the capacity of his intellect and the amount of time available to him."
~ Alfred the Great, from the translation of Boethius's Consolation on Philosophy, pg. 132.

An Ode to My Favorite Poet

2005-11-30T12:23:00.000-06:00

Hilaire Belloc
(1870 - 1953)

Famous for his "children's" poems which teach moral lessons to youngesters using their own sin-tendencies and with a multitude of poems dedicated to the praise of Burgundy Wine alone, who cannot but love the quick wit and clever morality of Hilaire Belloc?

"The Hippopotamus"

I shoot the Hippopotamus
With bullets made of platinum,
Because if I use leaden ones
His hide is sure to flatten 'em.

"Lines For A Christmas Card"

May all my enemies go to hell,
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel.

"Drinking Song, On the Excellence of Burgundy Wine"

My jolly fat host with your face all a-grin,
Come, open the door to us, let us come in.
A score of stout fellows who think it no sin
If they toast till they're hoarse, and drink till they spin,
Hoofed it amain
Rain or no rain,
To crack your old jokes, and your bottle to drain.

Such a warmth in the belly that nectar begets
As soon as his guts with its humour he wets,
The miser his gold, and the student his debts,
And the beggar his rags and his hunger forgets.
For there's never a wine
Like this tipple of thine
From the great hill of Nuits to the River of Rhine.

Outside you may hear the great gusts as they go
By Foy, by Duerne, and the hills of Lerraulx,
But the rain he may rain, and the wind he may blow,
If the Devil's above there's good liquor below.
So it abound,
Pass it around,
Burgundy's Burgundy all the year round.

The Fount of Every Blessing

2005-11-24T10:03:00.000-06:00

In an age where it's becoming evermore common to see Christmas lights and Holiday decorations in the heart of November and where Thanksgiving (more often referred to as "Turkey Day") is regarded as little more than a day off of work, we Moderns tend to overlook the great and many blessings God grants us. As such, I find it my duty to present some proper prayers and songs for this Thanksgiving Day.

George MacDonald's Prayer for the twenty-fourth day of November from Diary of an Old Soul:

The mortal man, all careful, wise, and troubled,
The eternal child in the nursery doth keep.
Tomorrow on today the man heeps doubled;
The child laughs, hopeful, even in his sleep.
The man rebukes the child for foolish trust;
The child replies, "Thy care is for poor dust;
Be still, and let me wake that thou mayst sleep."

"Blessings" from The Valley of Vision:

Thou great Three-one,
Author of all blessings I enjoy, of all I hope for,
Thou hast taught me that neither the experience of present evils,
nor the remembrances of former sins,
nor the remonstrances of friends,
will or can affect a sinner's heart,
except thou vouchsafe to reveal thy grace
and quicken the dead in sin by the effectual working of thy Spirit's power.
Thou hast shown me that the sensible effusions of divine love
in the soul are superior to and distinct from bodily health,
and oft-times spiritual comforts are at their heighest
when physical well-being is at its lowest.
Thou hast given me the ordinance of song as a means of grace;
Fit me to bear my part in that music ever new,
which elect angels and saints made perfect
now singing before thy throne and before the Lamb.
I bless the for tempering every distress with joy;
too much of the former might weigh me down,
too much of the latter might puff me up;
Thou art wise to give me a taste of both.
I love thee for giving me clusters of grapes in the wilderness,
and drops of heavenly wine that set me longing to have my fill.
Apart from thee I quickly die, bereft of thee I starve,
far from thee I thirst and droop;
But thous art all I need.
Let me continually grasp the promise,
'I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'

"Now Thank We All Our God": A hymn by Martin Rinkart, 1636. Taken from Arrayed Before the Throne:

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
Who from our mother's arms,
hath blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
in this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
The Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven;
The one eternal God,
whom earth and heav'n adore,
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

"Let us then, by all means, be proud of the virtues we have not got; but let us not be all too arrogant about the virtues that we cannot help having." ~G. K. Chesterton
On this Thanksgiving Day, let us indeed remember the Lord and giver of all things, the fount of every blessing, the ruler of every virtue. Let us remember that our blessings cannot be helped, but can neither be earned.

A Word on Family

2005-11-22T15:29:00.000-06:00

"Family, or more universally families, conduct themselves strangely. They expect nothing less than for you to protect them in fearful and dangerous times, to comfort them in sorrowful times, to rejoice with them on birthdays and other happy occasions, and to at all times keep your nose completely and totally out of their business."
~ Frederick Holden Baxter

Victoria's Enchiridion

2005-11-21T22:23:00.000-06:00

Being the Jane Austen fan that I am, I was gladdened when recently, whalst perusing my family library, I came across a beautifully hilarious sort of book I had altogether forgotten to be in our possession. The book of which I write goes by the name The Essential Handbook of Victorian Etiquette. Written and published by a certain Professor Thomas E. Hill between the years of 1873 and 1890, The Essential Handbook conveys, through very specific example, the 'virtuous' nature of the Victorian mindset and the odious results of its malpractice (or simply its lack of practice). In regard to the text itself, Professor Hill concerned himself with those issues of vital importance to the Victorian lifestyle. He covers subjects from as broad a spectrum as personal conduct and manners to as narrow as the proper sort of dinner conversation. Personal favorites on the specific side of things include the correct fabrics and jewelry to wear when traveling and the polite way for a lady to refuse the romantic advances of a tobacco user. I am including a few passages as follows:

The Etiquette of Conversation:

Recollect that the object of conversation is to entertain and amuse.
Do not always commence a conversation with an allusion to the weather.
Do no intersperse your language with foreign words and high-sounding terms. It shows affectation, and will draw ridicule upon you.
Do not attempt to pry into the private affairs of others by asking what their profits are, what things cost, whether Melissa ever "had the beau," and why Amarette never got married.
Do not aspire to be a great storyteller. An inveterate teller of long stories becomes very tiresome. To tell one or two witty, short, new stories, appropriate to the occasion, is about all that one person should inflict on the company.
Do not ingulge in satire; no doubt you are witty, and you could say a most cutting thing that would bring the laugh of the company upon your opponant, but you must not allow it, unless to rebuke an impertinant fellow who can be supressed in no other way.

The Etiquette of the Table:

Never make noises with your mouth or throat.
Never permit yourself to use gestures, nor illustrations made with a knife and fork on the table cloth.
Never encourage a dog or cat to play with you at the table.
Never explain at the table why certain foods do not agree with you.
Making an effort to get the last drop (of soup), and all unusual noises when eating, should be avoided.
No polite guest will ever fastidiously smell or examine any article of food before tasting it.
Never allow the conversation at the table to drift into anything more than chit-chat. The consideration of abtruse principles will impair digestion.

Other enjoyable topics include a section on responding to personal ads, the compatibility of specific physical peculiarities, and the crudity of boasting about particular exploits with members of the opposite sex.

Elements of Victorian etiquette still exist in modern society, yet it's a pity that all those that remain are the poor ones. We've kept up believing that clothing, parties, and personal prosperity are more important than faith, family, and community (the closest thing to religion dealt with in The Essential Handbook is a brief mention of the fact that when visiting, your host may see fit to pray before a meal), we've cherished the idea that, lest we offend or dampen the mood, all manner of serious thought and discussion should be avoided, and we've rejected their beautiful (and Biblical) understanding of the roles of men and women, man and wife, etc. We've drawn out every hint of Greek influence evident in Victorian society and adapted it into our own, yet we've blinded our eyes to its every indication of Christendom, to chivalry, to Christ's Kingdom. For that, may shame be upon us.

Heresy v. Orthodoxy

2005-11-15T11:17:00.000-06:00

"In former days the heretic was proud of not being a heretic. But today, heresy not only no longer means being wrong; it practically means being clear-headed and courageous." ~G.K. Chesterton

Charles Haddon Spurgeon once noted, "Discernment is not a matter of telling a difference between right and wrong, it's telling a difference between right and almost right." In these words, Spurgeon notes a brilliant concept: that there exists a difference (however dim it may be) between what is almost right but not quite (heresy) and almost right but not yet (orthodoxy)*. The difference lying in that heresy (almost but not quite), while not blatantly wrong in its clever efforts of masquerade, cannot, by Biblical standard, be justifiably considered right when played out to its full potential. Orthodoxy (almost but not yet), on the other hand, contains the potential and longing to attain righteousness through the recognition of the fallen nature of humankind, the repentance of sins we commit, both readily and otherwise, in word, thought, and deed, and the growing up in grace through faith. All things said, we are called to be in the world, not of it, for we are in fact spirits with a body, not bodies with a spirit. And while both humbling and condemning, the knowledge of this truth should reign supreme in every aspect of our lives and should in turn effect our very method of living; from heresy to orthodoxy.

*This phraseology taken from a lecture by Dr. George Grant

Something ever so beautifully put

2005-11-14T21:50:00.000-06:00

People so often strive to great lengths to push the boundaries of wrongdoing without actually doing wrong. Is there not a fallacy here? In regard to those people who do so strive a professor of mine issued a rebuttal ever so wonderfully put:

"Don't think about the things you can get away with; rather, ponder the glorious goodness and rewards of obedience." ~ Gregory D. Wilbur

Here I Begin

2005-11-14T14:46:00.000-06:00

I, H. N. Alan, welcome you to the dismal excuse for a blog that this shall soon become. Here I plan to make an attempt at mulling over issues (of interest to me) of considerable importance as well as those classified as little more than silly. You will discover this blog covered in quotes ill-explained, often times completely unexplained, and most often self-explanatory. You shall come upon subjects spanning art, music, literature, film, history, and worldview, and perhaps, on occasion, a composition of my own (though this is most unlikely). So, with introductions and all assumptions made, I shall proceed to post.

Regards.