More mixed-up ramblings: Madness, Horoscopes, In-box Wisdom, Nightmares and Dreams

This quote seen at the Wedgewood Museum made me smile - November  2011

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 My horoscope this week, found this morning via Kat's Gratitudes post at  I saw you dancing:

According to my old philosophy professor Norman O. Brown, "Our real choice is between holy and unholy madness: open your eyes and look around you -- madness is in the saddle anyhow." Let's take this hypothesis as our starting point, Aquarius. I propose that in the coming weeks you make an effort to get more accustomed to and comfortable with the understanding that the entire world is in the throes of utter lunacy. Once you are at peace with that, I hope you will commit yourself to the sacred kind of lunacy -- the kind that bestows wild blessings and perpetrates unreasonable beauty and cultivates the healing power of outlandish pleasure.

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In my inbox yesterday:

.........it is time to move into uncharted lands.

If you want to do something you have never done before,

you have to do something you have never done before.

If you want to go somewhere you have never gone before,

you have to go somewhere you have never gone before.

You cannot do something new by doing old things. If

you want your life to change, you have to change your

life. So go ahead. It's safe. And it's also... about time.

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Nightmares and Dreams....

On Wednesday night, Mr Stayingawake and I slept in a hotel. I had a nightmare about a very large black dog, who continued to break into our lodgings(which in the dream was a tree house in a forest camp), no matter how much we tried to keep him out. I would see him making his way over to our room (he belonged to another couple also staying in the forest camp) and so i would hurry to shut the door, but he would then get in through a window and lie next to me, his limbs resting over mine so that once he was asleep, I couldn't move for fear he would wake and attack me. Mr Stayingawake said I was whimpering in my sleep. I can still feel the fear, and the oppressive nature of being unable to escape his threat. 

Thank heavens it was only a nightmare! In my awakened state I can escape whatever it is that is oppressing me, whether it be a depressive episode or something within my life situation.

I can choose to do so still.

My mind still allows me this, mostly. A good night's sleep, a talk with a friend, tears, some distance and perspective, medication, mindfulness practice, creativity.....it can be done still. Sometimes I fear that I am less able to manage this when it hits, than I used to be. I wonder about the future. 

In my life situation ... I am teetering on the edge of safe and familiar, so wanting to jump into the unknown. I can choose to make a dramatic leap or maybe just one or two smaller changes.......

Yesterday we played at being potters, and today I had some (more) ideas for changing my life and committing myself to "the sacred kind of lunacy".....

Wedgewood Craft Skills Demonstration Area - Nov 2011

Hands on - shape changing - Nov 2011

The Master Craftsman shows us how it's done - Nov 2011