Two Interesting Books and a Few Other Things

I have been fairly quiet lately, and there are several reasons for that. First, the more I reflect on Proclus’ passages about using one’s voice to speak hymns and on speech/disclosure, the more I am conscious of needing to spend the time and energy that I have on what is worthwhile. I’m finding myself reluctant to write anything here.

Second, the shocks of one/both sisters (it’s complicated with my youngest sister) converting to Christianity over the past few years has actually been fairly significant psychologically given that we were raised in the Neopagan UU amoeba; we now have a chasm between us, and especially with my middle sister, I feel like I can’t discuss anything with her other than our respective cats. This set of reflections probably also explains why I took it so hard, and from the perspective of trying to focus on hymns, nothing I could say about the situation here is constructive or relevant or properly hinged. Third, I’m working on my goals, and … you know what? The goals I set for the first quarter of 2024 actually seem like normal and achievable goals for most of 2024. There are a lot of things I need to address in the self-improvement department, and they all take time to turn from inklings into habits. Fourth, I have already mentioned that I am resolving some health things.

What I do want to say right now is primarily about books. I’ve spent a lot of time over the past few months reading the Timaeus and Proclus’ commentary on it, so I am a bit behind in reading most other things on my TBR.

I am very excited that Tim Addey has published a revised second edition of The Seven Myths of the Soul. I had cited the original edition in The Soul’s Inner Statues as a great TBR add, and I felt some dismay when it went out of print. I later learned that a new version was coming out. While I have not done more than open a book to a random page since receiving it today, I’m sure all of the revisions made it an even better work, and I am excited to read it.

In addition, I’m reading a book right now of translated poetry, Poet to Poet: Contemporary Women Poets from Japan. It is beautiful, and I am still thinking about a poem from early on in the collection that used imagery from cultic observances related to a Goddess. I recommend it.

Apart from books, and to circle back to hymns and the Gods, I’ve really craved a chanting and impromptu music practice for some months, but I’m not equipped to do anything about it. I learned the flute, and I can’t chant and play the flute at the same time. It would be nice to bring more of the fullness of sound into ritual, almost like a hug for one praying alone. For now, I’m reaching for playing polytheistic hymns on a speaker while I do things around my apartment.