Paganistan: Notes from the Secret Commonwealth
In Which One Midwest Man-in-Black Confers, Converses & Otherwise Hob-Nobs with his Fellow Hob-Men (& -Women) Concerning the Sundry Ways of the Famed but Ill-Starred Tribe of Witches.
Manipulating Symbols is a Dangerous Business
When Cthulhu Sits on Yahweh's Throne
As a gag gift that Yule, a friend had given me a miniature reproduction of the biblical Ark of the Covenant.
(The Gift War is a tradition of venerable longstanding here in Paganistan.)
Amid all the holiday bustle, the Ark had yet to find a permanent home among my things. To get it out of the way for the time being, I'd set it on a shelf in the dining room.
Bad idea.
Among the circle of animals gathered around the Great Mother on her birth-stool beneath the Yule tree that year, the octopus netsuke was a real stand-out. Each sucker-cup rendered in loving detail, the little carved bone figure had compactly gathered its tentacles up around its body, thus making it eminently rollable.
After tracking down—again—where the kitten had batted the octopus off to this time, I resolved to get it out from underfoot. Looking for a safe place to stash it until I had time to put it away properly and (I'll admit it) spitefully savoring the petty blasphemy, I set it down between the outstretched wings of the little Ark of the Covenant's Cherubim Throne.
Really bad idea.
When Cthulhu sits on Yahweh's throne, beware.
Next day came the Great Christmas Tsunami of '04.
Almost 230,000 people were killed.
Now, do I seriously believe that my thoughtless small-world action had any sort of greater-world implication here whatsoever? No, of course not.
Nevertheless, I say to you: manipulating symbols is a dangerous business.
Friend, be warned.
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