LIFE: A DREAM, OR REALITY?

I’m confused - confused about the nature of “reality.” 

I’m listening to the film maker, Roger Avary on Rick Rubin’s podcast, and he’s talking about “creating your own reality.” He says he subscribes to the S.P.E.C. method: “select it, project it, expect it, and collect it” — as a way to manifest his chosen reality. The term was originally coined by a 1950s housewife, Helen Hadsell, “The Contest Queen”, who used it to win over 5,000 contests.

Avary, who spent time in jail for killing someone while drunk driving, was relating the harsh tale, describing how he had lost everything, but, then had an epiphany of deep gratitude upon his release, whereby he vowed to reorder his priorities. 

I know the Stoics say that “you can’t control what happens to you; all you can control is how you react to those things.” Is this an example of creating your own reality, or of simply accepting the fact that life is chaotic, random, and painful? 

Without being aware of it, I also have practiced the SPEC method of visualization to manifest reality, specifically in regards to my vision of eventual success that propelled me through the roller coaster of a 3 decades-long professional life. But, then, I walked away after a couple of busy years, because the image that had sustained me had suddenly vanished. I decided to stop beating myself up waiting for the big win to happen, and began living for my family rather than to gratify my own ego. In Buddhist terms, I freed myself by stopping “wanting” it, and, in fact, the appeal of whatever that “success” would look like became moot. 

But, doubts remain. So, to clear up the confusion, I’ll consult the oracle on whether of not it’s preferable that one should accept that we are simply observers in a senseless dreamscape, or, to believe that one can create one’s own reality?

HEXAGRAM 40: LIBERATION, with moving lines 1,5 & 6

HEXAGRAM 10: AUDACITY

DREAM:

I was awakened from this morning’s sleep with a mini-nightmare. 

I heard groaning, so I investigated the source of the sound. As I turned the corner into the kitchen, I see two legs with moccasins (like mine) on their feet. There was a woman face down on the floor with puddles of something  (vomit? Blood?) Around her head. 

The old woman was dying, in the last moments of life, and a number of people were sitting around, basically ignoring the old ladies situation. 

I became upset, (but of course, I wasn’t relating to her either) - and, I said to one younger woman who looked like my wife’s friend, Susan, “I wish Chemayne were here, she’d minister to the dying woman. She was too good to live!” And I woke up weeping. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Saxon

Sky "Sunlight" Saxon (born Richard Elvern Marsh; August 20, 1937 – June 25, 2009) was an American rock and rollmusician best known as the leader and singer of the 1960s Los Angeles psychedelic garage rock band The Seeds.[1]

A Web of Sound was produced by Saxon (under the pseudonym Marcus Tybalt) at Columbia Studio D, Hollywood, in July 1966 with Rafael Valentin as engineer. Although Hooper was now utilizing the Fender bass keyboard on stage, the group brought in Harvey Sharpe to fulfill bass duties on the album.[2] In addition, Norman Desrosiers (aka "Cooker") from The Groupies played slide guitar and harmonica,[5]which when combined with the Daryl's new Farfisa organ gave the album a different sound to the debut. Many of the songs were developed on the spot in the studio, with Hooper working out the music and arrangements while Saxon provided lyrics.[2]

I CHING DIARY: AGGRAVATION

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH AN ANNOYING PERSON?

It is a fact of life that irritating people are everywhere - at work, showing up during your leisure activities, maybe even in your own family… 

I’ve heard the theory that when you’re annoyed by someone, what you’re actually seeing is a reflection of what you hate in yourself. Hmm….. My personality is non-competitive - I’d rather let the aggressive person win the argument, or grab the coveted spot, as opposed to putting up a fight, and, (as I see it), degrading myself.  I find this ironic given the fact that I spent my peak earning years in a profession in which only 5% succeed, but, there you are! 

Many times I’ve flagellated myself for not standing up for my rights, or not stating a controversial opinion because I didn’t want to “rock the boat”. It seemed easier to bide my time and live to die on another hill… one further down the line. If there was a brief shudder of shame, I was usually able to swallow the bitter pill without choking on it, and keep the parade moving. 

However, getting older is making me reevaluate that strategy - I guess because older folks are already discounted and overlooked enough as it is. You may have to make a stink just to get your basic needs met - screw holding on to your dignified sense of self-regard.

So, today I’ll ask the oracle:

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH AN ANNOYING PERSON? 

ANSWER:

HEXAGRAM 35 (PROGRESS), with moving lines 1,2,3 &6

HEXAGRAM 34 (POWER OF THE GREAT)

We’re gonna “swing it, shake it, make it, shimmy til the break of dawn,” with the hard charging women of Rockabilly. Join us as we celebrate the status quo busting accomplishments of Wanda Jackson, Laurie Collins, Janis Martin, Charline Arthur, and others - women whose expression broke with convention and made people rethink rock and roll music  in general. 

I CHING - CO-DEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS

Stephen Pressfield, in his self-help manifesto, “The War of Art,” cites “resistance” as the devil - a destructive force (personified as Satan), that emanates from within, seeking to thwart whatever positive motivations you have to create art, or to even to live a better life through self-improvement. 

In a list of potentially positive actions that resistance targets Pressfield includes as #10: “any act that entails commitment of the heart. The decision to get married, to have a child, to weather a rocky patch in a relationship.”

This resonates!

But, what if said resistance stands in the way of ENDING a toxic, co-dependent relationship - one in which you’ve invested years of work, love, passion, and friendship? Lately you’ve been looking longingly for an escape hatch, because what was once a mutually satisfying partnership has devolved into a stasis, a grind of hellish endurance. 

Will the I Ching say that it’s ok to admit defeat, or exhort us to fight on? Will it advise us to go into couples therapy, or to simply cash in our chips and cut our losses?

Ah, but, It’s not so simple. For one thing fear of the unknown is palpable; maybe you don’t want to go solo and become cynical, even if being part of a couple feels like a strangulation of your soul. 

Perhaps the Oracle can advise?

The question posed before the Oracle today is stated thus: CO-DEPENDENCE: CUT YOUR LOSSES, OR REDOUBLE YOUR EFFORT? 

THE I CHING’S RESPONSE:

HEXAGRAM 64 “INCOMPLETION” with moving lines 2 & 3 

HEXAGRAM 56 “JOURNEYER”

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Pride of Man" is a 1964 song by Hamilton Camp. It is Camp's best-known composition.[1]

Rife with apocalyptic imagery and religious language ("Can't you see that flash of fire / Ten times brighter than the day... Shout a warning to the nations that the sword of God is raised / On Babylon that mighty city, rich in treasure, wide in fame... Oh God, the pride of man, broken in the dust again"), the song was written shortly after Camp's initiation into the Subud spiritual movement.[2][3]

"Pride of Man" debuted on Camp's 1964 album Paths of Victory, but achieved more notice when covered by Gordon Lightfoot on his 1966 debut album Lightfoot!.[1][4] "Pride of Man" was the opening track on Quicksilver Messenger Service's eponymous 1968 debut album and was released as a single on the B-side of "Dino's Song";[5][6] Rolling Stone described this version as having been "carr[ied] off admirably".[7] Quicksilver Messenger Service regularly performed the song in concert.[1]

Gram Parsons' cover was included on the album Another Side of This Life: The Lost Recordings of Gram Parsons,[8] released in 2000 but recorded in 1965 and 1966. The song has been covered by other musicians, such as Tony Rice on Church Street Blues[9] (1983), Ted Quinn on Help Wanted,[10] and Punch Brothers on Hell on Church Street.[11] Camp's version of the song was re-released on the 2006 five-disc compilation album Forever Changing — The Golden Age of Elektra Records - 1963-1973.[12]

Sunday Morning, the opening track of the seminal, self-titled VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, written by Lou Reed and John Cale, and produced by Tom Wilson, was originally created for the Teutonic Chanteuse, Nico, but ended up being sung by Lou.

The theme of the lyrics: - "paranoia" - credited to a suggestion made by Andy Warhol, and then realized in dreamlike images by Reed, was brought to shimmering life by the last minute addition of the celeste, played by John Cale. 

All it takes is one good idea; one spark of Promethean fire to ignite a life-long, multi-generational success. For Ross Bagdasarian Sr., it was a sped up tape recording of a nonsense scat phrase: “Oo-ee-oo-ah-ah; Ting-tang Walla Walla Bing Bang…”

Taking inspiration from “Duel with the Witch Doctor”, a volume sitting on his bookshelf, Ross bought a tape recorder and set about creating a silly rockabilly tune, featuring a duet with himself. By overdubbing his voice singing slowly, recorded at 1/2 speed, and then speeding up the tape, he created a high pitched character that charmed the world.

The resulting novelty record pulled Liberty Records out of near bankruptcy, selling 1.4 million copies and landing at the pinnacle of the Top 100 and R&B charts. He used the same technique to create the world wide Alvin and the Chipmunks craze which he then parlayed into a number of big records and an animated tv series. After Ross’s untimely death in 1972, the franchise was shepherd by his son, Ross jr. into a raft of hit, live action features running all the way up to 2015. 57 years of popular commercial product from one zany idea. Not bad.

I had a reunion with my box of Oblique Strategies cards today. When I opened the pack the first card that confronted me read: “Don’t be frightened to display your talents.” This started my head to spin with the question: IS IT MODESTY, OR FEAR OF BEING MEDIOCRE THAT GUARANTEES INACTION?

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained-“ we’ve all heard this expression. It means that if you don’t try, you won’t ever get what you want. Talent be damned - salesmanship is what gets results. Being mediocre is not a detriment to success, but a lack of determination and audacity is. Chutzpah…. This is the quality that’s necessary, not only for survival, but victory. Be the little engine that could: “I think I can, I think I can…”

I guess I’ve been lucky, in spite of my natural tendency towards reticence. The women in my life all approached me first because I was too timid to risk rejection. Getting acting work was the same: I figured my talent would be enough to convince the gate keepers to give me the job, in spite of the fact that I never had a decent agent to set up the big meetings. 

No regrets, but what’s next? People have been encouraging me to “get back out there,” professionally and romantically, but, I’m ambivalent, and struggle with my anti-zeigeist desire for modesty in this age of hype and self-promotion.

Let’s see what the Oracle has to say?

HEXAGRAM 49 (REVOLUTION) with moving lines 1 & 5

HEXAGRAM 62 (SMALL EXCESS) 

The Agony, Inspiration and Exultation Of Charles Allan Rich - 
 December 14, 1932 – July 25, 1995.
 Never Forget To Remember Such Brilliance.
 Enough Said.
 Listen In Friends.