The (Love) Shack?
Dave getting ready to start his 'Workshy' book-talk on the 22nd of Feb |
I had never set foot in the Avid Reader bookshop before that night and wasn't really familiar with West End anymore (well not this part of it), so I arrived early to make sure I got a close enough carpark in a back street and decided to have a browse in the book shop before the talk and also get something to eat in the area.
Whenever I go into a bookstore, I send out a request for my book angel to guide me to something relevant in my life.
I had started reading Peter Levenda's 'The Dark Lord' where he writes about H.P. Lovecraft's 'The Call of Cthulhu' and a few other Lovecraft stories and the parallels to Crowley's 'The Book of the Law'.
The Dark Lord?
The thing is that I have never read any Lovecraft stories, even though I had seen movies based on some of his stories, so I was hoping to come across some of Lovecraft's works.
The Dark Lord?
The thing is that I have never read any Lovecraft stories, even though I had seen movies based on some of his stories, so I was hoping to come across some of Lovecraft's works.
Another book I was after was 'Moby Dick', a book I had not read either, but had seen movies based on the book.
I was listening to a podcast where someone had mentioned reading 'Moby Dick' and the synchronicities surrounding it, although they didn't mention exactly what synchronicities they were referring to, so I decided it was about time I read it for myself.
I was listening to a podcast where someone had mentioned reading 'Moby Dick' and the synchronicities surrounding it, although they didn't mention exactly what synchronicities they were referring to, so I decided it was about time I read it for myself.
As soon as I entered the bookstore and turned to my right, I found the complete works of Lovecraft in one book and 'Moby Dick' sitting pretty much right next to it.
I also wrote a post the day before the book-talk called -
Oprah, Deepak, The Pope and The Dalai Lama in 'The 100 Most Spiritually Influential People' List?
In that post I wrote about Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra, the Dalai Lama and Pope Francis being in the top 10 of the top 100 of the 2017 'Mind Body Spirit' magazine's most spiritually influential living people list, with Pope Francis being #1 on that list.
When I was writing about those four people in that post, I was thinking how weird that three out of those four people I had seen do a live talk in my hometown of Brisbane, the exception was Pope Francis.
Weirdly enough though, I had seen Pope John Paul II in the flesh when I jumped my back fence of the house I grew up in, and cut through my Catholic neighbour's backyard to watch the Pope come down the road in his Pope-mobile.
That was one surreal day I and my old neighbour won't forget quickly.
Weirdly enough though, I had seen Pope John Paul II in the flesh when I jumped my back fence of the house I grew up in, and cut through my Catholic neighbour's backyard to watch the Pope come down the road in his Pope-mobile.
That was one surreal day I and my old neighbour won't forget quickly.
As I was waiting for Dave to begin his talk I look up and see a Pope Francis bobble-head doll for sale on the corner of the counter.
So, I bought one and it now stands on my computer desk with other religious figures I have collected over the years.
So, I bought one and it now stands on my computer desk with other religious figures I have collected over the years.
The first few pages of Dave's 'Workshy' book |
But who am I to judge, right?-)
I wouldn't mind seeing Pope Francis if he comes to Brisbane, especially now that he is #1 on the spiritual hit-parade.
Plus, I like how Pope Francis took the name Francis from Saint Francis of Assisi who was a lover of birds and animals,
as am I.
My Nan was a Roman Catholic who had a grotto in her front yard and religious statues and pictures all throughout her house, and while I wanted to convert and become a Roman Catholic like her, my father would never let me, as he was dead against any form of religion, telling me that it is all man-made BS.
My Grandma on my mother's side didn't think it was a good idea either, even though she would take me with her to play bingo up at the local Catholic school quite often.
When I was old enough to make up my own mind and after my Nan had passed, I became a Liberal Catholic, because I loved all of the ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, but not the dogma.
So, whereas the only member of my family who was a Roman Catholic (apart from a few cousins)
Plus, I like how Pope Francis took the name Francis from Saint Francis of Assisi who was a lover of birds and animals,
as am I.
My Grandma on my mother's side didn't think it was a good idea either, even though she would take me with her to play bingo up at the local Catholic school quite often.
When I was old enough to make up my own mind and after my Nan had passed, I became a Liberal Catholic, because I loved all of the ritual of the Roman Catholic Church, but not the dogma.
Dave Graney 'Workshy' |
was my Nan, Dave started off his talk stating "I grew up in a very Catholic family...".
Looking back at my life now I'm kind of glad that I didn't, because I got to see the spiritual side of the church without having to put up with the dogma.
The outsider's perspective gave me a romantic longing to be part of an institution that a lot of my childhood friends and Nan was a part of, but I wasn't.
That probably helped to fan my spiritual quest more so than if I had of been allowed to convert in my youth, as like you hear a lot these days, even from people who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, "I'm spiritual, not religious".
Which I would say goes for #me2.
I like the above cartoon and it kind of sums up what I think about Popes in general, but ... who am I to judge?-)
The outsider's perspective gave me a romantic longing to be part of an institution that a lot of my childhood friends and Nan was a part of, but I wasn't.
That probably helped to fan my spiritual quest more so than if I had of been allowed to convert in my youth, as like you hear a lot these days, even from people who grew up in the Roman Catholic Church, "I'm spiritual, not religious".
Which I would say goes for #me2.
I like the above cartoon and it kind of sums up what I think about Popes in general, but ... who am I to judge?-)
Peter's book: he's incredibly knowledgeable!
ReplyDeleteHis book 'The Dark Lord' actually kind of ties into 'The Secret History of Twin Peaks' by Mark Frost, because Crowley, Parsons and the O.T.O are mentioned in Frost's book and the implication is that Parsons did a working near the White Sands atomic bomb site and might have brought something through when the earth's atmosphere was weakened from the bomb test.
ReplyDelete