Looking Back, and Ahead

So. Trying to get back into the groove here and get something posted. I imagine most of us are still reeling from Friday’s events in Newtown, Connecticut. I’ve found it hard to think about much else, myself. So this afternoon I indulged in some escapism and watched “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.” Not one of the cheerier films in the series and possibly not the best choice, maybe I should have stuck to Jane Austen. And did I mention today is Jane’s birthday? (It’s also the birthday of Arthur C. Clarke, and Philip K. Dick.)

The world was so much simpler then, wasn’t it? Jane never traveled more than 20 miles from her home and yet what a legacy she left.

I love the piano piece in this scene from the 1995 Emma Thompson film version of “Sense and Sensibility’. Bizarrely and inexplicably on the movie soundtrack CD it’s played by a full orchestra, destroying the charm and simplicity of the piece. Sometimes I put the CD on just to listen to this beautiful melody. It’s called “My Father’s Favorite.” Most of the renditions I found online of someone plinking it out on the ivories was less than satisfactory, hence the movie clip.

Anyway, let’s have a card for the week ahead.

The Six of Wands from the Victorian Romantic Tarot. Seems to fit in with the time period of Jane’s life. Soldiers returning in a triumphal parade, clearly victorious, being cheered by the watching crowds. Wands are Fire, creative energy, with the balance of the six here. The white horse is indicative of purity of intent. This could mean recognition of efforts, being admired, basking in the attention of others. Just don’t let it go to your head.

I drew this card first, wasn’t happy with it and tried shuffling and pulling a couple more times before I decided to go back to this one and go with it. I was hoping for a less martial image, but I find it’s usually best to go with what the cards decide to talk about. It’s a good card, no doubt about that.

Wishing you all victory and success this week.

Happy Birthday to Mary Shelley

Born Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin, creator of “Frankenstein,” wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley, on the anniversary of her birth on August 30, 1797, I thought today would be a good day to mention there are no less than eight new dramatic adaptations of her novel in the works, one is even a television series.  Some sound more promising than others. Guillermo del Toro and Tim Burton are two big names involved each with his own project. Burton is apparently doing a stop-motion update of his 1984 “Frankenweenie.” Let’s think good thoughts.

Mary also gave us “The Last Man” in 1826, which as far as I know was the first apocalyptic novel, in which the world is wiped out by a plague. Shelley claimed as the basis for the story that she discovered prophecies of the Cumaean Sibyl painted on leaves in a cave near Naples. The story is set at the end of the 21st century. I sure hope it’s not prophetic.

It certainly would be interesting to get Mary Shelley together with other female science fiction writers of our own time: Ursula K. Le Guin, Joanna Russ, Alice B. Sheldon (aka James Tiptree, Jr.), Anne McCaffrey, etc. What a dinner party that would be.