Alan Moore on writing and magick

Klint Finley
via http://mutateweb.com/archives/2005/02/16/alan-moore-on-writing-and-magick/
New Alan Moore interview:
AM: I’ll give a brief recap in case we feel we missed anything. Magic and language are practically the same thing, they would at least have been regarded as such in our distant past. I think it is wisest and safest to treat them as if they are the same [...]

Write Magick

Manipulating the field of perception . . . Shamanic trance postures, sending the unstruck note via written word into your blood stream . . .  Scrying the dark side of the brain . . . coaxing whispers from the spaces between the emptiness neurons . . . Buddhism
Brion Gysin, William Burroughs, Ray Bradbury. . .
“i [...]

The Writer’s Journey and Mythic Structure with Christopher Vogler

Christopher Vogler, author of the international best-selling book THE WRITER’S JOURNEY explores the powerful relationship between mythology and storytelling for screenwriters, scholars, and fans of pop culture.

a zen fool’s notebook

an extended glimpse into the art and philosophy of a zen fool, poems in the creative stage, drawings, insightful quotes from past thoughtful minds . . .
Visit site for some excerpts http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fStoreID=1904618

If you live below the “poverty” level

If you live below the “poverty” level you are excused from supporting war tax as well as other ugly practices that any thinking, feeling human wants to avoid and bring to an end.
-Hermit

Can I get a Witness?

As I began my left hand turn
a specter called out
I heard veiled warnings
beware of the blood
beware of the movement
life comes from flow
energy moving and growing
beware of the mistakes of the past
beseech the ancestors to guide your path

The specter calls out
causing a disturbance
creating self reflective spirals
warnings that match the silent voice

further and further

EXPLORING OUR CONFUSION
—–Leonard Jacobs
In our own lives, we feel a sense of confusion — it seems to be confusion — but that confusion brings out something that is worth exploring. The questions that we ask in the midst of our confusion are potent questions, questions that we really have. We ask: “Who am I? What [...]

My kind of reading group

My kind of reading group

http://www.realitysandwich.com/chapter_1_simplicissimus
Has anyone here read or heard about this book? Looks pretty good.

Decentralized networks, smart mobs, collective intelligence, open source software, biopolitics, the emergent social Web and the integration of love percolate the New Edge, yet how do we use all these sexy, geeky, quasi-spiritual concepts to deconstruct the global empire [...]

Don’t count on receiving credit for your good deeds or good practice.

Last posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
It is kind of a relief to get to the end of these writing prompts that I decided to post here. My original intention was for them to intersperse my own writing entries, feeding my writing as needed. Having gotten very busy they became the [...]

“Yes, it’s nice, but it has a stain on it.”

cluster posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Be Frivolous
Don’t demonstrate frivolous jealousy at your friends’ success. If an acquaintance is wearing a new tie or a new blouse that you yourself would like, don’t capriciously point out its shortcomings to him or her. “Yes, it’s nice, but it has a stain [...]

Always meditate on that which is most difficult

Another cluster posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Always Meditate on Whatever Provokes Resentment
Always meditate on that which is most difficult. If you do not start right away, the moment a difficulty arises, it is very hard to overcome it.
Train Without Bias in All Areas. it is Crucial to do This Pervasively [...]

always take the attitude of being of benefit to all sentient beings

 Clump posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Two Activities: One at the Beginning, One at the End
The point of this slogan is to begin and end each day with twofold Bodhicitta. In the morning you should remember Bodhicitta and take the attitude of not separating yourself from it, and at the end of [...]

blame Gods and Demons for slogans

Clump posting of Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Make Gods Into Demons
This slogan refers to our general tendency to dwell on pain and go through life with constant complaints. We should not make painful that which is inherently joyful.
At his point, you may have achieved a certain level of taming yourself. You may [...]

Meditations on the Tarot

Meditations on the Tarot
Brother Void

What comes to your mind when you think of Tarot?
How do the cards themselves make you feel?
Have you ever held a deck? Do you own one?
What do you know about the history of Tarot?
What do the images mean?
Who created this deck and its symbols?
When you look at the symbols on each [...]

passing the buck

Lojong “writing prompt” email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Transfer the Ox’s Load to the Cow
The ox is capable of carrying burdens; the cow is less capable of carrying burdens. So the point of this slogan is that you do not transfer your heavy load to someone who is weaker than you. Transferring the ox’s load [...]

This slogan also means not to humiliate people. .

Lojong writing prompt email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Bring Things to a Painful Point
Don’t blame your sense of dissatisfaction, pain, and misery on somebody else, and do not try to lay your power trips on others. Whatever power you have – domestic power, literary power, or political power – don’t impose it on somebody else.
This slogan [...]

Don’t Be so Predictable

Clump posting of Lojong writing prompt email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Don’t Wait in Ambush
The Tibetan version of this slogan literally says “Don’t ambush”, that is, wait for somebody to fall down so you can attack. You are waiting for that person to fall into the trap or problem you want or expect. You want them [...]

practice of egolessness just another way of building up your ego

Todays Lojong writing prompt email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Abandon Poisonous Food
If the practice of egolessness begins to become just another way of building up your ego – building your ego by giving up your ego – it is like eating poisonous food; it will not take effect. In fact, rather than providing an eternally awakened state [...]

you want to subjugate the world in your own particular style, however subtle of sneaky it may be

 Lojong writing prompts email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Abandon any Hope of Fruition
This slogan means that you should give up any possibilities of becoming the greatest person in the world by means of your training. In particular, you may quite impatiently expect that because of lojong practice you will become a better person. You may be hoping [...]

You do not just want to work with chicken shit

 Lojong writing prompts email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Work With the Greatest Defilements First
You should work with whatever is your greatest obstacle first – whether it is aggression, passion, pride, arrogance, jealousy, or what have you. You should not just say “I will sit more first, and I will deal with that later.” Working with the greatest [...]

refraining from outrageous action

Todays Lojong writing prompts email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Always Abide by the Three Basic Principles
The three basic principles are also described as [1] keeping the two vows, [2] refraining from outrageous action, and [3] developing patience.
The first is keeping the promises you made when you took the refuge and Bodhisattva vows, keeping them completely. This one [...]

Lojong email reminder clump prompts

 Another email reminder clump from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
If You can Practice Even When Distracted, You are Well Trained
The idea of this slogan is the realization that whenever situations of an ordinary nature or extraordinary nature come up – our pot boiled over, or our steak is turned to charcoal, or suddenly we slip and lose our grasp [...]

edublogs.org

If things slow down here it is because I am experimenting with new blogs at http://edublogs.org/
The address is http://virus.edublogs.org/ 
http://edublogs.org/ has some interesting services, features and plans, check out what they have going on.

Whatever You Meet Unexpectedly, Join With Meditation

Todays email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Whatever You Meet Unexpectedly, Join With Meditation
The idea is that whatever comes up is not a sudden threat or an encouragement or any of that bullshit. Instead it simply goes along with one’s discipline, one’s awareness of compassion. If somebody hits you in the face, that’s fine…
Generally speaking, Western audiences have [...]

a fine smoky tea

Another pot of tea arrives, as they continue the discussion. Seven pots of tea so far, working on number eight.
ah . . . it is a fine smoky tea.
“So what is it exactly that is getting to you? I hear all the stories you are telling me, but I sense that you aren’t telling me [...]

Lojong Writing Prompts

Todays email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Seeing Confusion as the Four Kayas is Unsurpassable Shunyata Protection
The reason that the four kayas become a great protection is that we begin to realize the way our mind functions, our state of being. We realize that whatever comes up in our mind is always subject to that flow, that [...]

Be Grateful to Everyone

email reminder from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Be Grateful to Everyone
So in a sense all the things taking place around us, all the irritations and all the problems, are crucial. Without others we cannot attain enlightenment – in fact, we cannot even tread on the path. In other words, we could say that if there is no [...]

Ask and it will be given to you

Matthew 7:7
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
So I asked, “in what ways might language be a virus from outer space?”
The first answer to begin unveiling this interconnection arrives via http://www.futurehi.net/archives/000060.html 
Is Humanity Being Hacked?
Sometimes when I am in deep meditation [...]

Dancing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil

I wish that I didn’t have to be an ancient, reincarnated, bristle cone, grandfather, guru. I get tired of already knowing everyone and everything. Sometimes I can forget and everything is new and unknown, it’s a different kind of magick when all things are new and unknown. This time I was fortunate enough to cover [...]

email reminder clump

Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/ are actually a compilation of several days. I have been away from the computer for a few days and my email has piled up. I considered to stop posting these, but the act of posting these has actually prodded me to at least think about writing more regularly. While away [...]

Lists of feelings and needs

I have been contemplating and studying a couple of lists from a web site on Nonviolent Communication. I am finding that in studying communication, language, psychology and group work, I am coming across some great material that can also be used for writing, character development and the like.
Here are a couple lists . . .
feelings [...]

Sending and Taking Should Be Practiced Alternately.

Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Sending and Taking Should Be Practiced Alternately. These Two Should Ride the Breath
Sending and taking is a very important practice of the Boddhisattva path. It is called tonglen in Tibetan: ‘tong’ means ’sending out’ or ‘letting go’ and ‘len’ means ‘receiving’ or ‘accepting’. ‘Tonglen’ is a very important term; you should [...]

In Postmeditation, Be a Child of Illusion

Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
In Postmeditation, Be a Child of Illusion
Illusion does not mean haziness, confusion, or mirage. Being a child of illusion means that you continue what you have experienced in your sitting practice [resting in the nature of alaya] into postmeditation experience.
You realize that after sitting practice, you do not have to [...]

Rest in the Nature of Alaya, the Essence

 Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Rest in the Nature of Alaya, the Essence
The first six types of consciousness are the sensory perceptions: …eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness. The seventh type of consciousness, nuisance mind, is a kind of conglomeration called nyon-yi.
The idea of resting one’s mind in the basic alaya is to free [...]

Self-liberate Even the Antidote

 Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/
Self-liberate Even the Antidote
The antidote is the realization that our discursive thoughts have no origin… But we need to go beyond that antidote. We should not hang on the so-what-ness of it, the naivete of it.
The idea of the antidote is that everything is empty, so you have nothing to care [...]

Author Unknown

The following post was pilloried  from http://dailylight.wordpress.com/2007/12/26/reading-70-from-divine-remembrance/
I am including here because it fits in perfectly with the tonglen and lojong postings and is yet more great material that may prod me to writing.
Enjoy!

Heavenly Father, Help us
remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours [...]

Examine the Nature of Unborn Awareness

 Todays email reminders from http://lojongmindtraining.com/

Look at your basic mind, just simple awareness which is not divided into sections, the thinking process that exists within you. Just look at that, see that.
The reason our mind is known as UNBORN awareness is that we have no idea of its history. We have no idea where this mind, [...]

a virus from outer space

a la: http://www.acjournal.org/holdings/vol6/iss3/responses/attias/virus.html
“Language,” William S. Burroughs reminded us, “is a virus from outer space.” Performance artist Laurie Anderson adds, “That’s why I’d rather hear your name than see your face.” This metaphor captures [...]