The Magus of Seattle

[Starjumper]

Exploring Fisher Basin in the North Cascades Wilderness.

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Starjumper

[Pilgrim]

14 minutes ago, Starjumper said:

Exploring Fisher Basin in the North Cascades Wilderness.

 

Great shot, first impression. Green Wizard, very cool thanks for sharing!

[Nungali]

On 05/05/2019 at 1:21 AM, Starjumper said:

I messaged the editor.  He is a little late because he had to help his business partner leave the country    He said that he should be ready for the interview in about a week.  I don't know how soon I will get the manuscript after the interview, maybe at the same time or about a week after that.  Then I need to study and make changes suggested by the editor.  So it's starting to look like after the middle of May.

 

'We' had some input into a revision of a book ( " The second revised expanded edition above cited also benefitted from newly discovered typescripts. " )   that had a lot of material missing, a new version reinserted it and added stuff that was originally planned. Boy, what a process.  Finally the book came out ;    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magick_(Book_4)

 

 

 

I was presented with a signed copy by the Yanks . They must have been in a hurry  as the signing was on the first blank page .

 

Beautifully bound and covered, but I had to ask  "Is this a joke ?"

 

" No ... why would you say that ?"

 

" Because every page in this book, except the ones with your signature on it is blank ."

 

" Waaaat ? !  BS!  Show me ! "

 

I have no idea how that can happen.

 

So I got another  ... it took me a while to realise  ...  so again

 

" Is this another joke ? "

 

" Now what ? "

" I took the dust cover off and the internalcover is upside down compared to the contents ?'

 

" Arrrgh! "

 

They finally got it right .

 

But that will not happen to yours as this one was a book  about magick and revealing secrets and  .......

 

....  Oh  !    ....  Ummmm  ..... good luck anyway !        

 

 

 

Edited May 6, 2019 by Nungali

[Nungali]

Just now, Pilgrim said:

Great shot, first impression. Green Wizard, very cool thanks for sharing!

 

 

Khidr ! 

 

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

[Starjumper]

17 minutes ago, Pilgrim said:

Great shot, first impression. Green Wizard, very cool thanks for sharing!

 

Quite a number of people who see that say it makes them think of wizard and it's the only pic that causes people to say that..

 

The thing I miss most about living in the US was those long five/six day hikes into the Washington wilderness.  Washington has the steepest mountains in the world.   Once I went snow camping and slept inside a snow cave that my hiking buddy and I made up on some mountain.  I wore bluejeans on the way up and they got wet so I put them outside.  Going uphill with a pack can make you sweat even if you're only wearing jeans and a T shirt in freezing cold.  The next morning the pants were frozen solid like a board.

Edited May 7, 2019 by Starjumper

[Starjumper]

1 hour ago, Nungali said:

   1 hour ago,  Pilgrim said: 

Great shot, first impression. Green Wizard, very cool thanks for sharing!

Khidr ! 

 

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

 

Very interesting, I got about 2/3 of the way through it so far.  Craftsman and metal worker like me.  They call him a dragon slayer, any idea what that represents?

[Nungali]

In western religions  ( that actually originally come out of Central Asia / Middle East  )   Dragon is seen as different in the 'Far East' , here it is 'lucky' or beneficial ( if you are 'worthy'   [)  ) .   but, perhaps, more importantly ,  potent and auspicious powers, strength, control over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods.

 

I'm sure you have read my posts on the difference between the two before  ? 

 

If you want  a long explanation 

 

https://www.academia.edu/5803156/The_Religious_connotation_of_the_Islamic_dragon

 

or a summary :

 

" The       history of Mesopotamia goes back to beyond 5000 BCE when the first townsand cities were built. Mythical beliefs in the creation of the world and mankind began to spread among the people as part of their basic religious convictions.Among such ideas was the belief in the reality of fearful monsters like the dragon.In ancient Sumer, the dragon was called Kur and was believed to live deep under the sea. It was said to look like a long serpent that harmed and killed people, so itneeded to be slain.

 

 

[Nungali]

... wait !   Where is the threatened maiden   that needs to be saved by the pure hero   who is battling and killing the dragon (actually the hero's own 'passions' and 'independent power'      )

 

Where's Wallycenia

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ohhh ... there she is ! 

[Nungali]

Ummm ... sorry about the gruesome pics .....  here ya go :

 

 

[Starjumper]

9 hours ago, Nungali said:

I'm sure you have read my posts on the difference between the two before  ? 

 

Yes, I remember it now but was thinking 'Eastern'.  It makes sense now, before that I was wondering how can you kill something that's immortal, it must take a powerful being for that; and why would someone want to.

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Starjumper

[Starjumper]

48 minutes ago, Starjumper said:

I was wondering how can you kill something that's immortal

 

From Journey to the West.  This is close enough:

 

"Now that you're going," the Patriarch said, "I'm sure that your life will not be a good one. Whatever disasters you cause and crimes you commit, I forbid you under any circumstances to call yourself my disciple. If you so much as hint at it I'll know at once, and I'll tear off your monkey skin, chop up your bones, and banish your soul to the Ninth Darkness. I won't let you out for ten thousand aeons."

[Starjumper]

10 hours ago, Nungali said:

... wait !   Where is the threatened maiden   that needs to be saved by the pure hero   who is battling and killing the dragon (actually the hero's own 'passions' and 'independent power'      )

 

Ah yes, a metaphore for emotional maturity, and a nice way to make people feel guilty about their true nature.

 

"Repent" as used in the bible means "change your mind", it isn't supposed to mean "you are guilty, worm!".

[Starjumper]

Well, it's a rainy day so I'm spending too much time on the computer.

 

Here's a picture of a couple of comedians hamming it up in a photo booth in Seattle.  Bruce with his and my teacher, Mr. Yueng.  Uncle and nephew.

 

Notice how Mr. Yueng's nose is very flat.  This is a result of one of the things we do in our chi kung, but it's best to start young.  The reason is that your nose is less likely to get broken in a fight.

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Starjumper

[Starjumper]

Here's one of the gang that worked at Ruby Chow's luxury Chinese restaurant in Seattle.  Bruce moved to Seattle so that he could live with Mr. Yueng, and they lived upstairs on the top (third) floor of the restaurant.  This picture was taken when Bruce first got to Seattle.  You can see Mr. Yueng over on the right with the flat nose and the serious look.  Ruby is the one with the weird hair.

 

I was going to put this in the book but then decided not to bother with pictures.

 

Edited May 7, 2019 by Starjumper

[Nungali]

11 hours ago, Starjumper said:

 

Yes, I remember it now but was thinking 'Eastern'.  It makes sense now, before that I was wondering how can you kill something that's immortal, it must take a powerful being for that; and why would someone want to.

 

 

Fear .

 

( From one of my initiations  ;   " Fear is failure and the forerunner of failure ... and courage is the beginning of virtue " . )

 

From post above ;  " Dragon is seen as different in the 'Far East' , here it is 'lucky' or beneficial ( if you are 'worthy' ) "

 

In my dragon story, once the  main character gets over fear and starts to exhibit virtue , the dragon's attitude  towards him changes ( for the better )

 

Of course, you can never kill the dragon  ( talking western dragon here ) .. just like one can never suppress the natural forces, or passions within ;    " balance is the key "   " Balance each force with its opposite "   . Then we have a better chance of using these forces wisely ... instead of them using us .

[Starjumper]

56 minutes ago, Nungali said:

In my dragon story,

 

I'm not aware of your dragon story ...

[Nungali]

Well ....  that's becasue  you are not 7 years old.                  

 

Its a  girl dragon, it turns out.  She has a lair up in the high craggy mountains where she keeps her   hidden   treasures ; gems prised out of the rocks with her claws and finely cut using her keen eyesight and strong teeth, and  precious metals, which she smelts out of the rocks by blasting them with her fiery breath .  She then digs  shapes out of the rocks,  puts the metal in, blasts it with fire to make fine cast ware  and jewellery , which she sets the gems into .   You think you have seen beautiful items  and jewellery before ?  No ! Nothing like this, it is exquisite and fantastic  and beautiful and sparkling and shining  .... just like the dragon's scales , if you even get a chance to get up real close and look .  

 

....  now  ,  close your eyes and go to sleep  ....    ....  and there will be NO monsters tonight  !  Because that dragon  ...  if any even think to come around here , she will eat them all up, just like that    <  sloomp  GULP !     .... buuuuuurp  !  >    

[Nungali]

 

 

 

R. I. P.

STORYTELLER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Starjumper]

5 hours ago, Nungali said:

Well ....  that's becasue  you are not 7 years old.                  

 

Its a  girl dragon, it turns out.  She has a lair up in the high craggy mountains where she keeps her   hidden   treasures ; gems prised out of the rocks with her claws and finely cut using her keen eyesight and strong teeth, and  precious metals, which she smelts out of the rocks by blasting them with her fiery breath .  She then digs  shapes out of the rocks,  puts the metal in, blasts it with fire to make fine cast ware  and jewellery , which she sets the gems into .   You think you have seen beautiful items  and jewellery before ?  No ! Nothing like this, it is exquisite and fantastic  and beautiful and sparkling and shining  .... just like the dragon's scales , if you even get a chance to get up real close and look .  

 

....  now  ,  close your eyes and go to sleep  ....    ....  and there will be NO monsters tonight  !  Because that dragon  ...  if any even think to come around here , she will eat them all up, just like that    <  sloomp  GULP !     .... buuuuuurp  !  >    

 

That's a wee bit too poetic for me to get to the bottom of, but it sounds like my kind of girl, now I'm in love.

[Nungali]

Well, just dont plan on bathing together   (  for a  bubble  bath, she uses  a lava lake in   an  active volcanic  caldera ) .

[Starjumper]

17 hours ago, Nungali said:

Well, just dont plan on bathing together   (  for a  bubble  bath, she uses  a lava lake in   an  active volcanic  caldera ) .

 

I thought she was hot but I guess I'm not ready yet, maybe next time.

 

[Starjumper]

On 5/8/2019 at 1:45 AM, Nungali said:

 

 

 

R. I. P.

STORYTELLER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ya, a big piece of humanity has gone missing due to technology.  In a way.  We have Utube.

 

Evidently personal stories about someone's life adventures and learnings are very popular now, my editor sent me a link about a doctor in Europe who wrote a book about his experiences and he sold 100,000 copies in two months.  So there is still hope for me.

 

 

[Nungali]

What I miss is the interaction between the story teller and the listeners .  But , I suppose the 'online world'  can help push up  book sales .

[MooNiNite]

editing takes forever.... its a very tedious process involving rereading your books multiple times...

[Starjumper]

3 hours ago, Nungali said:

What I miss is the interaction between the story teller and the listeners .  But , I suppose the 'online world'  can help push up  book sales .

 

Yes, two very different things.  What is really needed by the youngsters is live interaction for their stories.