Random Interest Questions
Jun. 18th, 2003 01:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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seraphimsigrist's journal entry:
biodiversity, gender theory, penny arcade, wicca
2) how would yin and yang fit in your approach to
gender theory.
Well, the concept of yin and yang tends to evoke a (superficial?)binary type of relationship, which I am cautious of in regards to gender. I tend to regard the masculine/feminine dichotomy as culturally created, and not necessarily a reflection of some deeper reality. However, having said that, I think reflection on the idea of the yin and yang does tend to subvert at least the typical (Western?) ideas about gender, especially binary concepts.
For example, I think we tend to think of gender in absolute terms. But yin and yang are relative, and infinitely divisible. What is yin in one instance may be yang in another. It depends on the point of reference. Also, we often also speak of gender in terms of opposites or complimentarity. And these are terms used when speaking of yin and yang as well. But these ideas are subverted by the concepts that each is also contained in the other, transforming into the other. Yin and yang are to be in balance, not just in relation to others, but within one's self. And I think in those ways the concept of yin and yang relate how I tend to view gender.
3)best games in a penny arcade?
Erm, actually the interest is in Penny Arcade, an online comic strip revolving around video games and geek life. But penny arcades are cool, too. Though I don't know enough about them to make any judgements about ranking games.
4) why wicca? that is to say I take it to be rather newly minted
earth magics..is the craft more attractive than High Magic?
(that is to say based on Kabbalah and so on) I am not
a magician for anyone looking over our shoulder but I have
wondered what is the attraction of these new craft magics....
so a chance to hold forth!
Well, to your first question, "why wicca?", two main reasons. First, I find it interesting precisely because it is a new religious movement. It's interesting to see its development, divergence, and syncretizization. Second, because it's probably somewhat more accurate that I'm interested in Wiccans (and Pagans in general) because I have several friends that practice, but "wicca" is a more widely listed interest than "wiccan" or "wiccans" so that's what I chose.
Now as to the second part of your question, I can't really answer as I am for the most part an outside observer, and I do have an interest in other magical traditions as well. I suspect one of the reasons for the attraction is that it is new. I suspect also that many who list wicca are actually interested in something more general, be it magical traditions, paganism, neopaganism, etc. Because of cultural shorthand, Wicca has come to mean more than itself, in perhaps the same sense that Baptist has come to mean less than itself.
seraphimsigrist's journal entry:biodiversity, gender theory, penny arcade, wicca
2) how would yin and yang fit in your approach to
gender theory.
Well, the concept of yin and yang tends to evoke a (superficial?)binary type of relationship, which I am cautious of in regards to gender. I tend to regard the masculine/feminine dichotomy as culturally created, and not necessarily a reflection of some deeper reality. However, having said that, I think reflection on the idea of the yin and yang does tend to subvert at least the typical (Western?) ideas about gender, especially binary concepts.
For example, I think we tend to think of gender in absolute terms. But yin and yang are relative, and infinitely divisible. What is yin in one instance may be yang in another. It depends on the point of reference. Also, we often also speak of gender in terms of opposites or complimentarity. And these are terms used when speaking of yin and yang as well. But these ideas are subverted by the concepts that each is also contained in the other, transforming into the other. Yin and yang are to be in balance, not just in relation to others, but within one's self. And I think in those ways the concept of yin and yang relate how I tend to view gender.
3)best games in a penny arcade?
Erm, actually the interest is in Penny Arcade, an online comic strip revolving around video games and geek life. But penny arcades are cool, too. Though I don't know enough about them to make any judgements about ranking games.
4) why wicca? that is to say I take it to be rather newly minted
earth magics..is the craft more attractive than High Magic?
(that is to say based on Kabbalah and so on) I am not
a magician for anyone looking over our shoulder but I have
wondered what is the attraction of these new craft magics....
so a chance to hold forth!
Well, to your first question, "why wicca?", two main reasons. First, I find it interesting precisely because it is a new religious movement. It's interesting to see its development, divergence, and syncretizization. Second, because it's probably somewhat more accurate that I'm interested in Wiccans (and Pagans in general) because I have several friends that practice, but "wicca" is a more widely listed interest than "wiccan" or "wiccans" so that's what I chose.
Now as to the second part of your question, I can't really answer as I am for the most part an outside observer, and I do have an interest in other magical traditions as well. I suspect one of the reasons for the attraction is that it is new. I suspect also that many who list wicca are actually interested in something more general, be it magical traditions, paganism, neopaganism, etc. Because of cultural shorthand, Wicca has come to mean more than itself, in perhaps the same sense that Baptist has come to mean less than itself.
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thanks
Date: 2003-06-18 01:13 pm (UTC)as always it is the interesting answers
which justify the questions and in this
case very interesting it seems to me!
+Seraphim.
Re: thanks
Date: 2003-06-18 01:29 pm (UTC)understood will try
Date: 2003-06-18 01:42 pm (UTC)responsae on principle of do unto others
(since I always like feed back) and also
inherant interest of questions...in some
moments perhaps.
Responsae
Date: 2003-06-18 02:04 pm (UTC)why do we not be fancy and have responses or, so fancy and
academic are we, responsae... not at all as argumentation
there is none that comes to my mind just as some kind of response
as I always enjoy when I write something with some effort to
brain and hand.
1)BIODIVERSITY. Teilhard's endproduct is represented by
the equation Cosmogenesis=Noogenesis=Christogenesis...
it perhaps parallels the last words of Bed Griffiths
of shantivanam "Serve the Christ who is growing!"
I think that purposive evolution is set aside by small scale
scientists who do not want to go beyond strictly doing sciense.
leave aside Teilhard, I would commend the earlier Henri Bergson
and his emergent or creative evolution as being a figure of
immense interest and importance...
as to biodiversity I like your distinction between species
naturally succumbing to the movement of evolution and those
unnecssarily eliminated.
I guess I do not see,and you do not either, preservation of species
as an end in itself...but to presever that diversity which we
ought have here and now etc...too long response will try to be shorter.
2)YIN AND YANG good points. It is a large subject and perhaps
also as with the previous one , elements which are not simple.
the problematics of Jungian psychology in relation to anima
and animus reflect the difficulties... umm nothing further special.
3)PENNY ARCADE remember being taken by my dad to a surviving
one of the old kind in new york many years ago where they had
those box hockey games and so on...
of course, well not of course but in fact, in Japan spent a good
deal of time in the wonderful video game parlors cum coffee
shop they developed and was playing pinball when a great earthquake
in Sendai gave a tilt to end all tilts.
4)WICCA good point that the word has a broader meaning than
the narrow one of craft magic now. You can see from mine on
Pentagrams yesterday that I am not patient with ahistorical
and anachronistic occultisms...
but , hey, they too, the practicioners that is were made by
the Good Lord as sure as he made little green apples or for
that matter me so ...
and we're all trying to make a buck and also to have a little
happiness etc . and yet. Especially in dealing with what is
intended to be a gnosis I guess I favor rigor of thought...
but of course also nothing is just theory it is also life and
mystique.
pizza is not a recipe it is tossing it up and the air and
having a beer with it.
no doubt also wicca, the changable changed.
anyhow be blessed as we say in the trade!
and just these
+Seraphim.
2)
no subject
Date: 2003-06-18 07:41 pm (UTC)Oh. I thought this question was about, well, Penny Arcade. Completely changes the meaning of the question.
As for the yin-yang thing, I think it also helps that yin and yang are supported by each other and you cannot define yin in an absence of yang. The ideas of relativity and balance help in creating a complete model of gendered possibility, but the binary structure is ultimately limiting for state-of-the-art gender theory.
Your friend asks interesting questions!
Commentingly,
Hyoun
no subject
Date: 2003-06-19 08:45 am (UTC)