As a child, a framed needlepoint hand stitched by my mom hung over my bed. It had the image of a row of toy soldiers standing in one direction, with a lone soldier in their midst facing the opposite direction. Below the image was a paraphrased quote by Thoreau “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.” I’m pretty sure mom made that more as comfort for herself, to cope with her odd-ball kid, than it was to encourage me in my offbeat marchi-…er, shuffling. I realized quite early that my own interpretation of the way things are was usually much more accurate, and thus rewarding, than the opinions of those who knew what was best for me.
“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.” A quote by Aleister Crowley which I agree with objectively. If you want power (or anything for that matter), then focus your will and put all your energy in to accomplishing it. You will achieve it. It’s been my experience that inertia is the biggest obstacle to achievement, and the universe we occupy is extremely malleable. Wiccans use a similar credo, except theirs’s proceeded by the phrase “And ye harm none…”. I like the tone of that better, as it implies some degree of empathy. However, awareness and understanding change. I’ve never been a huge fan of Crowley; all my perceptions of his darkness turns me off. But not too long ago I read an essay about that quote. The author claimed that the WILL referred to by Aleister was not his own man-made construct, but more; being aware of his true nature and unnervingly following his “destiny” as it were. Regardless of the opinions of others, and even exclusive of their perceived harm. Similar to marching to Thoreau’s different drummer. When in harmony with your true self, and acting accordingly, is where the best magic happens. Oh, and it does happen.
During my last visit to my family a sister asked me “where do you see yourself in 10 years?” I honestly don’t know. At least not intellectually, and at least not long term. I do entertain nebulous ideas of healing, humor, art and making the world a better place. If I ever did have a tangible map, I fear I tore it into pieces a long time ago; I fashioned one piece into a pirate hat, and another into a paper airplane for me to soar on. The remainder I tore into small confetti like fragments and scattered them over the population as some hand-made chemtrail fairy-dust. Perhaps that is my destiny though, with the divine as the breeze that keeps me aloft. Sometimes, I desire a clearer view, but usually I think “who am I to try to guide my life?” ‘Happy-go-lucky’ I think is the technical term used by scientists to describe this phenomenon. Magic of an ‘uh-huh’ nature happens consistently enough though to keep me in this mode. Action brings good fortune.
I am drawn to the odd, the unique and the unusual. I love craftsmanship and one of my favorite joys is finding antique and vintage mechanical devices ( with a special regard for toys), and restoring them. It’s very satisfying to bring something broken back to a functional state, even (or perhaps especially) if it was made just for play. Intricate amusement is awesome.
Thus, I usually spend a few hours a month perusing local thrift stores in search of wayward machines and oddities. Not sooo long ago I was at a local thrift store, with my by-far favorite free spirit companion for such endeavors, when we came across a collection of old time animal traps. The different spring types and locking mechanisms was intriguing. My friend asked what I would catch with them. With out missing a beat I replied “A Star-Bellied Sneetch”. Don’t know why I said that. Outside of drawings in antiquated books of forgotten lore, I’ve never actually seen one. I don’t think I really want one. I don’t even know what they eat. Also, I’m not too sure about the legality of trapping endangered mythical creatures as well. We continued walking through the store looking at the overflowing plethora of used goods. Art prints, furniture, books, tools and more. Twenty minutes later, on the peak of a bookshelf, was a stuffed sneetch. Of the star-belly variety. Seriously. This is my life. It felt uplifting that I came across one. But soon those feelings where replaced with “Great…you just wasted a manifestation. Of all you could will, you chose a stuffed toy??!!?” Well, magic is magic, and I will admit that I and silliness are no strangers. As I had no real desire for a Star-Bellied Sneetch, I left it on it’s mount on high to ponder the state of the universe.
Last week while wandering the same shop, I came across what at first looked like the legs of a Barbie doll. Only these were in proportion to the real world. They were attached to a clay figure that was obviously made by a very talented artist. Upon close examination the fingerprints of the artist were discernable in the clay. The lady was dressed in a falling bikini and holding a Iroquois false-face mask over her (missing) face. The form of the figure was incredible; even though it was made of clay it had an vibrant life of it’s own. I admired the detail and love that went into this creation. The sculpted and painted hair was topped with cascading feathers that blended beautifully.
Still, I have no need for this work of art, and left her to her own fortune. Or, at least, I attempted to until I came across the missing base. Woo-hooo. A tribal stripper pole for this wild lady to dance upon. The pole was instilled with the power of more feathers, false-face healing masks (and one in the style of Northwest tribes), snakes, lizards, and some semi-psychedelic painted patterns.
Pow! This piece projects palpable power. Permeating profusely everything known and sublimely hinted at.
The determining factor in deciding to foster this lady was it’s title:”Free Spirits”. It was created by a (as I later learned) local artist named Bill Girard. https://www.rareartfinder.com/artist/bill-girard-limited-editions-4358.htm I didn’t haggle and quickly paid the sum of $10.86 plus tax. “So, you like the girl in the G-string?” I was asked by the cashier. Well, yes I do I thought. But for a lot more reasons than that. As mentioned earlier I enjoy restoring my finds. Usually it works out well, though sometimes I muck-up the item while trying to fix them. That was the case with this – it was obvious she was made to grasp the pole. When held in certain positions the inter-relationship and the energy flow between the figure and pole was electric. I pondered for a long while whether to keep her spirit free and loose, or re-connect her to a power-source of true being. Crowley’s will and her destiny. While most were concerned with news on TV, and it’s social ramifications, I spent my week weighing the pros and cons of gluing a girl to a bone.
That’s the thing… a free spirits’ often overwhelming awareness and connection to their souls’ calling. It leads to a more enrichingly authentic and rewarding experience, if one can transcend the isolation and loneliness which often accompany this state of being. The problem arises while attempting to connect one free entity to another. While the base and figure have much in common (composition, intent, style, etc.) and resonated strongly when put together, the fact is they are now separate. And just because a partnership of free spirits is synergistically wonderous and magical, it doesn’t mean it has to be. It is also quite apparent that it would be a difficult task to reassemble what once was and not degrade it’s original purity. There was a lot of downward pressure to be expected due the burden of the free spirit without a supporting foundation, and relatively small point of shared connection.
Yesterday I took the plunge. Using The Last Glue I fused the two pieces back together. It did not stay as I hoped, when the glue cured and the supports were removed she slowly descended. She doesn’t fly as high as I intended, and some paint came off the base because I glued my thumb to it. Though I’ll just inject my own energy into it in touching up the paint. Sometimes our interaction with life and creation isn’t always how we envision it. It can get pretty messy. We often leave sticky fingerprints on what we touch. I suppose trying to keep that to a minimum is best…but, then again, one of the most charming aspects of Girard’s creation is where his prints are visible on the figure as he caressed her into existence.
Is it is magical as I believe it once was? Probably not. Through my interaction it has taken on a more personal satisfaction though. I believe in trying to fix and repair things, rather than discard them. That applies equally to people and projects. If something calls to your spirit, do what you can to connect. Our time is all way too fleeting. It’s also ok to muck things up while connecting, it’s part of the process. Even pain and separation are a blinking blessing. If we operate with trust, integrity and passion we can mould our lives into something truly spectacular and fulfilling, even if we don’t know where we’re going. Though honestly, even the day to day drudgery, our boring, ho-hum, grinding existence is no small miracle.
i seem to be a verb 