A simple post

After the complexities of Atlantis, perhaps it is time for a humbler post. By now the regular reader of this blog (if any) will no doubt detect a rather unearthly* tone in most of my posts--especially in my belated fiction. One might ask: why not write about something more "practical", something more "down-to-earth"! Perhaps I could fulfill the desires of such folks by churning out treatises on "Interest Rate Management and the Philips Curve" or "Purchasing Power Parity and Foreign Exchange Determination". Or perhaps something really exciting concerning "The fall of Byzantium and the rise of Modern Europe".

However these are things the curious reader can peruse elsewhere, and from authorities no doubt much more knowledgeable than myself. Even if there are certain odd opinions that I have of these fields, I may not want to share them (immature etc.), or for some reason, could not share them. Hence, the still small voice concerning these matters.

I stick quite firmly, as the reader can see, to a metaphysical and religious orientation in most of my writings. While you can indeed find countless fine and excellent tomes on economics and history, equivalent works on metaphysical issues are in fact pretty rare. In addition, much of this literature is conflicting and difficult. Indeed, for all my readings over more than a decade, I have TRULY covered probably only a small part of this territory. Thus in my blog, I hoped to cover something more unique and unappreciated.

To show the scope of my ignorance and the vast scale of metaphysical research, here are some of the 'occult' or metaphysical fields I know very little about:

Hauntings and ghosts (except for some legends of old Chinese High, like the green and cheerful beaming eyes of Tan Kah Kee. If our school truly possess a Guardian Angel (the Hwa Chong spirit!), I wonder what he thinks about our endless ghostly frettings? Or we have mistaken HIM for a ghost? Poor HC.)

Vampires and pontianaks (I heard of some leaping about in the Botanic Gardens at night, but I never ventured to confirm it for myself)

Werewolves, Dragons and most monsters--excepting those from Hell.

Astrology (know the rudiments, but that's all. I also do not feel any need for it)

Alchemy (only know the rudiments. Not sure whether it is very profitable to turn lead into gold. Economically speaking, successful alchemy will cause the price of gold to fall severely due to greatly increased supply and collapsed demand (gold is no longer a rare metal). Lead prices will rise due to vastly increased demand, and prices of both commodities will converge in a process determined by their respective demand and supply. Probably the eventual price of gold will be somewhat above that of lead due to the costs of alchemical conversion, but regardless, price-wise lead and gold will become virtually identical.

In conclusion, to turn lead into gold will reduce gold into lead. Of course there is a spiritual aspect to alchemy, but YYY knows much more about this field than me)

Feng-shui (it will be interesting to know where exactly is the elemental Dragon's Head in our school. I would like to drop different things on it and see how it affect our school's fortune)

Witchcraft (I read some books on Wicca in my teenage years, but found the stuff uninteresting and somewhat childish. I have a feeling that some of the spells and rituals probably can work given the right will and impetus, but still the gains are meagre and the costs high. Or is it just my prejudice?)

Necromancy (I have some interesting encounters at a Wayang show once, but do not care to find out more)

Celtic Druidry and that kind of thing

Fairies and mermaids

Shamanism (I read a book called 'urban shaman' during my teenage years. Again, like the wiccan book, superficiality is the problem)

Voodoo and aboriginal religion in general

Hermetic and Egyptian magic (I have read some books on them, but found them singularly unattractive)

Blood and sex magic, demon summoning and such.

You might lament my stubborn, arrogant and bigoted prejudice against all forms of black magic and what I deem to be "inferior mystical systems"--especially those that must be greased with handshakes with petty, invisible beings.

Now, I believe that many of these systems that I am arrogantly contemptuous about can actually work. Given the right 'mantra' or spell and concentration of mind, faith and openness of being, I have no doubt that the 'petty, invisible being' in question will come and perhaps do your will. But at what cost? Not many realise or believe that the ecosystem of the invisible is indeed very diverse and extremely interesting--and not always for the right reason.

But anyway, here are the fields I do know more about:

Buddhism (Mahayana, Theravarda and Tibetan)--I researched Buddhism for 4 years during my teenage years. I think I could still remember the main concepts.

Hinduism (especially the writings of Sri Aurobindo, the Tantras (not the sexual rites or the kama sutra, thank you), the Vedas etc.)

Christianity (obviously, since this is my religion)

Atlantis

Dungeon and Dragons and mystical/religious systems in some other fantasy worlds (Tolkien's, Robert Jordan's etc.)

The 'Micro' fields (these areas often find expression in the fields above):

Angels, both fallen and upright

Mysticism and spiritual experiences

The power of the word

Most of the stuff from which I draw my posts will come from the above. To be sure, these are already vast and varied fields and are more than enough to churn out exotic posts. Still one's ignorance, even of the latter fields, far exceeds one's knowledge. The more one knows, the more Newton's saying truly resonates:

"I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me."