Rise and Fall, Fall and Rise

On my return I found a package from Bobby, which knocked me out. Not only some original artwork from projects we collaborated on*, but issues 1 and 2 of Okey-Dokey.
Even better, for an old performer like me, he gave me a credit in Issue 2 of Okey-Dokey as "Research Magician" which I really feel proud of as a title. Hey, I got a credit in a comic book with something I used to call 'street-cred' although I have no idea what people call that now - and perhaps these comics seem a little to esoteric to really make it in a mass-market.

If Issue 2 goes on sale, you might get it here, at the Madison Underground Press - Okey-Dokey 1 certainly appears in the Store.

*Our work on The Fall into matter through a temptation to manifest and Rise through Initiation and return to the light appears in the Only Maybe blog.

Our piece on The Fall as perceived by Joyce in Finnegans Wake (fall and arise) and manifest in Vico's cyclic view of history appeared in Maybe Quarterly #5, aka Volume 2 Issue #4

Home again, safe enough

Hi to family and friends - just to say I have arrived home safely.

I really enjoyed the trip to Japan, and even the little corner of Tokyo (Asakusa) that I saw I enjoyed, and I met many delightful people:

konnichiwa!

Domo arigato gozaimasu!

More later, when I have looked at my pictures, and perhaps resolved the late payment issue.

I did go to calm down one last time, in the Sensoji temple complex, and wafted a bit of 'smudge smoke' over me, which at least got me home safely...

The sun came out today

Still feeling a little strange, but with the sun out I enjoyed walking around the temple grounds, and then we went to Bandit toy shop to talk to people and sign a few pictures, etc.

We went to the oldest bar in the quarter (160 years old) to finish.

And so to bed for an early start...

G'night world!

Somewhere else entirely

I have a little problem with this Japanese keyboard, and onscreen instructions, but just to say I arrived in Tokyo safely and have a very kind and generous host, Abbey who has taken care of us all, and even taken us to a temple to collect a little good luck (I drew No. 42).

I never meant to do you any harm...

I woke up this morning to presents from the postman, so big thanks to everyone who timed it so well - to Julia and Elle, Yo and Matilda and Dieter, to Clare and Finlay and Nicky, to Emma, to Judith (perhaps my dearest friend) - and for electronic greetings hello and thanks to Ms Noh and Crissie and Hadass.

I feel honoured that people take the time and thought to do these things (I feel fairly notorious for either missing, or ignoring significant dates in people's lives).

I put on a saffron shirt today, both for the spring sunshine colour, and for the Buddhist monk robe colouring. I do not consider myself a Buddhist, but have a lot of empathy for their world-view. And now I get to go to Japan tomorrow, for a week, so I will experience a Buddhist culture firsthand, for the first time in my life. What a great present from the universe!

I think of the essence of Buddhism (and perhaps all true spiritual practice) as harmlessness. I may have hurt people at times through my clumsiness, ignorance or stupidity, but never through malice. I would like to take this opportunity to wish a peaceful day to all sentient beings. You can find a Tibetan take on harmlessness, here.

May all sentient beings become free of suffering. May peace, joy, wisdom, and compassion consume us all. May all beings find the path to enlightenment that lays within the core of each individual as well as in the whole of humanity.

Sixty times around the sun...

I made it!

67,000 miles per hour, 24 hours a day, for 365 days per year, for 60 years....

something like 35,215,200,000 miles...

No wonder I feel tired!

The picture at the end of my Time Piece shows just a decade of that...

Synchronicity

Jules just sent me a couple of pictures from Slovenia, which prove that (1) I am happy sometimes, especially when the sun comes out!






(2) I can be found juggling sometimes - even if only doing silly two-ball tricks at the kid's workshop!

Juggling in July in Ireland

I doubt that many people come to this blog for juggling news these days (as it relates to one of my previous incarnations) but as I enjoyed myself in Slovenia in 2005 (thanks to Mr Jules) I feel I should promote it, and hopefully get there, too, maybe even go visit the tribal turf of the Moriarty clan, over by the Dingle Peninsula - and see one of the sources for my genes.

Irish Juggling Convention

9th - 15th July 2006