What Are You Doing?

[ecosophia]

I know that a great many of us have lots of unexpected free time at the moment. Since I've noticed that my readers tend to be an unusually creative and eccentric bunch, it occurs to me to ask -- what interesting things are you doing while you wait for the outbreak to wind down? 

Since what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, I'll start things rolling. Some months ago I started work on a translation of Johannes Bureus' Adul-Runa Rediviva, a remarkably strange Latin book about the runes. Bureus was a Renaissance Hermetic occultist, deeply involved in circulating Rosicrucian ideas in Scandinavia in the early 17th century, as well as the first scholar in modern times to study the runes; he combined both interests in Adul-Runa, and interpreted the runes using the sacred geometry in John Dee's enigmatic Monas Hieroglyphica as a basis. (As I said, remarkably strange.) 

Normally I do Latin translations the way some people do crossword puzzles, for relaxation -- there's actually a lot in common between the two habits. In recent months, unfortunately, I've been sufficiently swamped that I haven't been able to put time into translating Bureus. Now that everything's shut down, though, I've been able to devote an hour or so each evening after dinner to that relaxing pastime. Since I've got Dee's Monas in English and Latin, and know my way more generally around the occult scene of the Rosicrucian era, if all goes well I should have a translation of Adul-Runa with detailed commentary in print sometime next year. (And if the shutdown lasts longer than Bureus does, I've got a bunch of Giordano Bruno texts, including his essays on magic, to work on...) 

So that's what I've been doing in my unexpectedly copious free time. What about you, fellow hermits? 

Comments

[grandswamperman]

My wife and I are attempting to start a garden on our back porch. We have mint, chamomile, chives, and green onions, and are looking at trying a few other herbs and vegetables.

I also just finished reading Kim Stanley Robinson’s Aurora, which I was inspired to check out when you mentioned it on your main blog. Great book.

[grandswamperman]

On another note, I have heard of Bureus; the metal band Therion released a concept album with lyrics inspired by his work.

[violetcabra]

that really does sound noteworthy in its strangeness! I've been gifting all sorts of seeds; giving Bruce Catton's Civil War Centennial Trilogy it's 5th reread; picked up a few hundred gallons of garbage from the side of my local river; done a series on my blog detailing the similarities between the SJW scene and the social milieu that become the Confederacy; am beginning to plan on volunteering on some farms/gardens once the pandemic winds down. also I purchased the last two volumes of your Weird of Hali series and eagerly awaiting their arrival!

In addition to these things I've done a lot of reflection and personal work of the reflective sort, fixed my broken socks, and am coming to completion with another pamphlet!

[(Anonymous)]

That's great that you cleaned up garbage from your local river! I thought just this weekend of doing the same along the roads near where I live, I may do that soon amongst everything else. I hope the river seems happier!

[(Anonymous)]

I've been quite productive!

1) I've been playing my saxophone each and every day, enough that my jaw started complaining, which I count as a success. It's getting stronger the more I play, so as time passes I'm upping the time I play. I'm still a beginner, but I'm rapidly improving, and I plan to start writing my own music in a few weeks, once I finish working through my Beetles songbook.

2) I've done some sketching, and have a series of images I want to create. This will necessitate learning how to draw, but I figure I have time for that! ;)

3) I've cancelled a bunch of things which I was doing before the shutdown, so I can continue on with my copious free time. I like it a lot better than what I was doing before.

4) I've found quite a variety of recipes which are quick, cheap, and easy to make, and which my family enjoys. Turns out I'm a pretty good cook! I've also started pickling, but I'll have to wait to see how those turned out.

5) I've been interested in Pluto in mundane astrology, and how its presence as a planet changed the world, so I've marked down around a dozen likely Plutonic cultural themes and started research on some of them. Since there doesn't seem to be a book on the topic, I might as well write it! ;)

6) I rectified my natal chart (I had no idea what time I was born), and since I enjoyed it, have started on a friend's as well.

7) My family has started decluttering, and my bedroom is the cleanest it has been in years.

8) I've started planning my days more. I find this helps me know what I should be doing: knowing what I want to work on, and then getting it done, with the side effect I've found even more free time than I had gotten before....

[(Anonymous)]

I have a suggestion. Get an OLD copy of “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain,” the one with the brown and white cover. Newer editions aren’t nearly as good. Also, any books by Jack Hamm that you can find. He’s deceased but his books stay in print. Don’t let anyone tell you not to bother with his book on drawing people because the clothing is outdated. For one thing, it all drapes the same, and for another, about 90% of the book has nude models anyway.

Enjoy!

What am I doing?

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

I am catching up on my general readings and also spending more time studying sacred geometry, doing physical exercises and some gardening.

Last year I started work on an encyclopedia on sacred geometry...I am still at it. I really wonder if I'll ever get through with it though. The more I gather notes on the matter the more I feel I know so little about it. Nevertheless it is an interesting exercise as it forces me to reassess what I think I know of the subject.

[(Anonymous)]

greetings from the other side of the country, this is salamandir, one of the guys you went to college with in the early 1980s...

and what i'm doing is moving. it's really weird to see these government officials warning everybody to stay at home, because... well...

which "home" should i stay at: the "home" that's currently full of boxes and chaos, or the empty "home" that's still being painted, having internet installed, and a fence built? 😒

apart from that... there really isn't anything else going on: all of my gigs for the next six months have cancelled, and there's really nothing to do except drive back and forth from one "home" to the other.

[(Anonymous)]

I thankfully still have my job, at least for the moment, but not having to commute and not being able to go anywhere outside my neighbourhood has meant I've been spending my free time differently.

I've been catching up on some reading, mainly. Just finished off Aldo Leopold's Sand Country Almanac, over the past few weeks I also read (far too quickly) the Kybalion and Manly Hall's Self-Unfoldment Through Disciplines of Realization to give me more context as I keep plodding along at the DMH. I keep at the SOP and meditation as a daily thing I do in the mornings, that hasn't changed at all despite the pandemic.

I've also just started to read the book about cell salts you recommended, The Biochemic Handbook, to learn some of the basics of how to use them.

My wife and I are lucky to have a backyard with a small patch for growing things that the previous tenants set up, and over the last couple seasons we've struggled to get all that much to grow in it, and now that I'm working from home anyway, I've reviewed some of John Jeavon's book on growing vegetables, and hopefully this season we'll do better after paying more attention to soil-building. We planted lettuce, carrots and spinach under some cloches to see if we can get a head start, we've never tried that before.

The last thing I'd like to do is start again with something I put aside a couple of months ago. When I was learning how to play music, a teacher spent some time teaching me a system of rhythm taught in South Indian Carnatic music, and now I can't think at all in the Western system of rhythm, because of the length of time I spent learning the former system. So over the past year, I've been teaching myself how to improvise on my hammer dulcimer using this rhythmic system, which is heavily polyrhythmic.

So there's a lot, way too many things, and I imagine some of these activities will fall off as I get drawn to certain activities.

[(Anonymous)]

I just had an idea of another thing I'm considering doing in addition to the above. A lot of people at work are anxious about the pandemic, and after recently reading Epictetus's Enchiridion, I just thought of running a weekly book club for interested work colleagues over video conferencing software about that book because it seems particularly relevant to these times!

I imagine that I would pick a set of numbered sections as assigned reading, and then meet for an hour each week to discuss the book. If this is a good idea, then does anyone have any tips to run a book club? I've only done it once over a few sessions, but it wasn't very structured.

[redmachus]

JMG,

Alas, no such downtime for me. I'm a critical care nurse, and since this pandemic started, our already understaffed hospital has been stretched to the brink. So I haven't had much of a chance to indulge in all the projects that the extra time off would afford. I'm curious about what others are doing, however, and would love to get some ideas. After this passes, I might have to indulge in a self-imposed quarantine of my own.

Your translation sounds fascinating. I look forward to seeing its completion. And while I'd love to see some translation of Bruno's works, I hope it doesn't take a pandemic to make it happen. We're busy enough as it is.

Stay safe, and happy translating.

[amritarosa]

Thank you for all the work you do!
Bonnie

Reading, Writing, and an Author Website

[joelcaris]

I haven't had quite as much extra free time as I am still working (thankfully) and already worked from home, so no great change there. However, my wife and I have been taking long morning walks, which is new, and cooking at home even more, with the occasional take out pizza from some of the local pizza places to provide some variety.

I have, however, found the time to finally get my author website launched and have been doing a bit extra reading and writing. I think my affirmations I've been doing the last six months or so are really starting to kick in, as I've been feeling inspired and started two new stories of late to go with the one I'm wrapping for the last issue of Into the Ruins. Of course, I have to actually finish them!

Otherwise, plenty of reading and staying up with my meditation and assorted practices. As regards to the former, The Weird of Hali #3, #4, and #5 just arrived today from Powell's, so those will be fun to dive into soon! I also am finally getting some more Lovecraft read and have been enjoying a Caitlin Kiernan collection with lots of Lovecraft-inspired stories, so I guess I'm filling some of the time with tentacular odysseys?

The Great Old Ones await!

Mastering Malkuth - to wit. my apartment

[(Anonymous)]

The infamous pile of paper on the printer has disappeared, one by one, with only a handful of things to deal with. A lost cell phone a month back occasioned the complete clean-out (and reorganization and inventory) of drawers and closets. Lastly, to get at the current lot of sewing projects, I had to reorganize (and inventory) my workbasket and finish the lot of little stuff.

Then to locate or cut out some larger pieces and follow the mask pattern given on one of my email lists as the simplest and least demanding of materials. Oh, yes, and not only set a daily routine but stick to it no matter what.

And not let a meditation of Fortitude vs Courage turn into "The Scots-Irish migrations and the Norse flavor to eastern Scotland." The connection being my father's surname. BTW, Fortitude is what's needed here in these times. Warriors need courage, but the home front has always called for fortitude, which is staying power. In fact, the U.K. has given us a wonderful example of the difference. Boris Johnson has courage. Her Majesty has, and always has had, fortitude.

Sorry. Nothing romantic or occult to be seen here, moving right along.... unless you want to start a campaign fot my candidate in Miami's next mayoral election: "The Sea King." Who is promising a trade treaty with Denmark due to his daughter having married into their royal family, with a statue of her in Copenhagen's harbor, yet. I think he's angling for the Deep Ones' votes as well, but his ex-wife Ursula claims to have those in the bag.

[fringewood]

Since we live off grid, are retired from the outside world, don't own a car, grow most of our food and stock the rest for a year at a time, we are doing pretty much the same as pre corona virus.

Now that it's getting warmer we are getting the gardens ready, incubating eggs and breeding rabbits and foraging for spring ephemerals is just around the corner. We will share nature's bounty with housebound neighbors from the edge of their yards (usually the mailbox in our rural neck of the woods).

The woodpile is no longer shrinking, instead growing to the stock we will need, come this winter.

Life is simple...so are we😉

Saw this in my inbox today...maybe someone will be interested
The Library of Congress needs virtual volunteers to transcribe, review, and tag digitized images of manuscripts and typed materials. https://crowd.loc.gov/about/

[greensmith]

Dear JMG,

I am still working (self-employed blacksmith, so I was already self-isolating before it was a thing!) and surprisingly my orders habe been staying steady. I am working away at forging garden tools from reclaimed material, as well as fire pokers.

My wife and I started a garden, though that is usual for us. Tending the hens we have also takes up some time.

One of the big differences is going for long daily walks in the beautiful, sparsely populated valley we recently moved to. Being out in nature this much has been great to keep our spirits up.

Finally, I have been playing and writing various RPGs for the virtual tabletop, such as roll20. It's been a hobby of mine for over 25 years and the extra time has been nice to get more into it lately.

Generally though, and because of books of yours I'd read years ago, our lives haven't changed much since we adopted the LESS lifestyle. It's business as usual for us, I'd say :)

Tim

[(Anonymous)]

Here in China, having started the lockdown earlier than people in Western countries, I'm noting that I'm having to fight lethargy more the longer it all continues. That's getting worse as more things seem to return to normal but my own industry remains shut down.

That said, I've been walking a lot in a forest park, researching the life of Iolo Morganwg, and exploring the Coelbren y Beirdd.

Bogatyr

[aldabra]

I'm trying to get enough stuff into the brand new empty allotment before the government tightens the restrictions, so it can at least be growing over the summer even if we can't get at it. And also doing container gardening at home, in case we can't get to the allotment. I've wanted to do this for years but haven't had the headspace free after work. I thought I was going to have to wait until I retired.

Also I have a plan to unpack after the house move last summer, which never really happened.

I've stockpiled the Weird of Hali, but I seem to be too in-the-moment for reading fiction. Which is unprecedented.

[(Anonymous)]

I worked with a guy who had lived in his house 11 years and there were still boxes no one had bothered to unpack. 😄

[readoldthings]

My main areas of focus have been magic, tai chi and reading more old things. I finished Proclus's Elements of Theology the other day, and reading it has convinced me that I've really been a Platonist all along. I've been meditating my way through the Republic, and periodically returning to the Enneads, which I've been chronicling on my Dreamwidth.

I have less newfound freetime than some because I suddenly have a kid at home, but home school has been its own interesting project-- I've been having him read Norse mythology and learn to write Chinese characters, among other things. A week or two ago we made offerings to Thor in the back yard, after reading one of his legends. As a family, we're doing a lot of extra cooking and a ton of garden work, focusing on medicinal and magical herbs. Right now I've got chamomile, thyme, lemon balm, dill, catnip, borage, oregano, rosemary and spearmint all going strong.

A couple of weeks ago I attempted the Druid Bread from your Natural Magic handbook. I found it didn't rise very much, but this may be because the yeast I have is rather old. I may attempt it again today and let it rise over night. The yeast I ordered on Day 1 of Vacation still hasn't arrived, bread-related items apparently being hot commodities these days!

[(Anonymous)]

Lots of gardening and embroidery. One of my friends has taken up gardening so I've supplied them with lots of seeds and cuttings.

Copious free time

[(Anonymous)]

I’m reading James Howard Kunstler’s post-oil World Made By Hand series of novels. (I’ve already read your Retrotopia, JMG).

Talking to friends (via phone) whom I haven’t been in touch with for years.

Polishing off songs I started but never finished. Here’s the lyrics to one such example:

A WAYS TO GO

I took a look, there’s still a ways to go,
And truth to tell, I hope that’s always so,
Another misty midnight bridge to cross,
If we reach the end of it, we’d both be lost -

So keep in mind there’s still a ways to go,
We’re not ready yet to quit this show,
But let us stop a while and take our rest,
And listen to the wind tell us what’s for the best -

Can’t really say what I will do tonight,
Could be I’ll sit and watch the amber light,
I might work on the poem I started on
Not long after the day that I was born -

Tomorrow we’ll rise and see the sun come up,
We want a miracle, well, that’s enough -
We’ll start our walk again, we’ll take it slow
Cuz like I said, there’s still a ways to go -

Let’s draw a breath, then let it hang in the air,
Let’s draw a map that just might lead to somewhere,
I’ll read your cards if you read my palm,
Our lines of fate will tangle up thru the dawn -

We’ll hear the evening crickets singing out loud,
We’ll see the moon tending to her flock of cloud,
Then we’ll sleep and in our dreams we will know
For us they’ll always be a ways to go -

We’ll take a lovers leap into the void,
A healing for the sick and paranoid -
I’ll bleed for you if your cause is just,
And you know that means that I always must -

The evening clouds, they’re like a burning sea,
See those ones, they look like you and me -
They say that what’s above is what’s below,
They say that we still got a ways to go -

Will M

[(Anonymous)]

Last week's monay was my brthday and I got me The CosDoc and the Mystical Qabalah, so I've been catching up with the book club. I also have been working on my spanish translation of Galabes, which anyone interested can check out over at galabesp.blogspot.com

JP

[(Anonymous)]

Oh and It's also a good time for me to finish the first third of my ascent of the Tree of Life from Paths. It's been slow but I am about to link Hod and Netzach. I am kinda scared about how that may manifest in my life.

[(Anonymous)]

I’m not “off” exactly (keeping the lights on and the water flowing) though certainly I have more free time and fewer external options, so I’ve tried breaking out Bianca (my banjo) whom I have neglected for far too long (along with my lessons). The flailing, or frailing, continues, along with my stutter step attempts to understand Jung, Barborka, Steiner, and Hall.

—David BTL

[amritarosa]

Prynhawn da, JMG a pawb!

I finished the third netsuke and ojime set in a set of three that has taken me the better part of around 3 years to finish. Each set is themed on a Lenormand three-card combination. They are made from scrap ebony and oak, salvaged piano key ivory, mammoth ivory and little bits of gold for inlay. I don't know if this link will work, but I posted several pictures in a public post here: (hitting the arrow on the right side of the image will take you through the other images)

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10222436307244308&set=pcb.10222436318684594&type=3&theater

Today I'm finshing 3 masks made from a few of my partner's old silk brocade ties that had gotten too frayed to be worn and some scrap polyester mesh for lining. Stylish pandemicwear!

I'm continuing learning Welsh on Duolingo and planning on adding in listening to some Welsh-language radio and tv inthe near future.

Performed some quick and sincere seat-of-my-pants practical magic and got results within two hours. That also brought up some personal issues dealing with that sphere as a bonus. Win-win.

Planted some potatoes, cleaned the birdbath and am watching the doves drink. Watching the crows do the raccoon thing and come to dip whatever delectable prize they've scored in the water before eating. Today it's been the remains of some fried chicken bits. I'll have to clean it again later...

Kept the cats entertained. Snuggled with my partner, with whom I've not had this much time in years. It's nice to just sit in bed and read together at night.

Looking at my carving bench and feeling out the empty space where the next carving project will take shape.

Iechyd da,
Bonnie

[sidneyspath]

Bonnie, these pieces are amazing! Very beautiful; you are a true artist. -- Sidney

[(Anonymous)]

Funny, I've actually gotten a bit busy these past few days with the warm weather.

Started working my garden in my community garden plot. Its an interesting space; its at the edge of the small city I live in, my plot alone is about 1600 square feet, so lots of room to have fun :D First few beds have been worked up and fertilized, seeded some peas and radishes (maybe early, but I figured why not try). Hoping by the end of the month to have onions, potatoes and celeriac, lettuce, and cooking greens in. And seed some beets and carrots. And divide some comfrey and plant that too. And...oh I'll stop there.

Work has gotten busy too. I work by myself, sometimes with other builders who are also self-employed, which means we are exempt from this lockdown stuff (as far as I can tell, no one has thrown the book at me yet). Started a great project this past Monday. Client of mine has a 19th century 2 story brick home here in Troy that, along the second story of its north wall, has developed an bulge in the brick work that is pushing outward. So a partner and me have been throwing up scaffolding each day and having at it. Its rather delightful to be able to work on these grand old buildings, handling brick and mortar that is probably 150 years old, and giving them some new life.

In the realm of magic, I have been following the DMH for more than a year now. This past holy day, I finally got the go ahead from my Ogham fews to proceed with the Three Cauldrons ritual. Been doing it everyday now, and it really is quite delightful, it has taken my morning SoP to a whole new level.

Hope everyone else is doing alright in these interesting times!

Best,
Andrew B

what am I doing

[(Anonymous)]

Cleaning, washing, general Autumn clean really and working (slowly) on an art project which is a collaboration between artists and scientists which is supposed to have an exhibition this year....but who knows. We've all decided to carry on regardless but isolation does make it hard to work together. We've taken on the geology department of the local university this year and it's been really interesting to see what they do and even participate in some areas.

viv in nz

[(Anonymous)]

This is my third week of working from home, the work week being Tues through Fri. I've also been preparing the garden for planting except on the days we've been singing Christmas carols because it was snowing until noon. I normally do a lot of pyrography, but have now been improving my wood carving skills, too. Plus a lot of introspection, which has been very productive. And just simply slowing down and enjoying extra time with my wife.

DJSpo

For Fun

[(Anonymous)]

I'm digging a well in my garden. I've got a hand auger and a bunch of 3/4" galvanized steel pipe to extend the handle. I got down about three meters yesterday and have already hit water. I will go a couple more meters before I stick a pipe in it.

If this goes well, that means no more hauling water in buckets from the spring during summer dry spells. And if anybody else in the neighborhood wants a well, I've got the tools.

What am I doing

[abwatt]

I'm sewing masks for friends of mine in the local health care system — not so much frontline nurses in hospitals as folks that work in nursing homes, community health centers, and hospice facilities. My current goal is five a day, and then I stop.

2) I'm continuing to write a decan-by-decan astrology column (next one needs to be published late tomorrow night, and I'm playing hooky) at my blog at http://andrewbwatt.com/

3) I'm starting to learn some yoga, and re-awakening my semi-dormant meditation practice, with good results. Also I've decided to take part in the cell-salts experiment/trials.

4) I'm managing a Toastmasters District (about 140 clubs, 2500 members) as it moves from being an exclusively-on-site and face-to-face organization, to an online experience, for at least the next three months. We'll re-evaluate where we are in June.

5) I'm building a roman-style low workbench for carpentry and hand-tool woodworking. Today I clamped seven 2x4s together, wide sides touching, to see where the light shone through, and where I'm going to have to do some rough plane-work to get things to match up nicely.

6) I'm getting my Patreon site going for poetry, a combination of original and commissioned work.

Fun-fun

[(Anonymous)]

Working from home - I help run a set of public utilities that have to keep going. But this does leave time for making sourdough, who would have thought that a chocolate chip sourdough actually works.
It also means that I can finally learn how to shave with a straight razor, I don't look I've been in a knife fight anymore. Good to get the skills before you actually need them.
I have downloaded the Weird of Hali series but am rationing myself to a few chapters at night - far to easy to binge and miss my online meetings.

Markie