Post for September 17

Hello All,

I hope you're not too confused with our readings . . .

Don't fixate on all of the allusions (references to gods and religions); what is important are the ideas and concepts themselves.

On that note, on page 42, Anthony Stevens illustrates one root cause of our need for symbols and archetypes:

"Many of the symbolic rituals divised by our ancestors arose out of the anxieties that inevitably afflicted human beings living in the environmental circumstances in which our species evolved and lived for most of its existence [...] Our capacity to find symbolical means of dealing with these fears is one of the most striking characteristics of humankind When in need, we seek symbolical expression as well as practical fulfilment of those needs."

1. Reread pages 42-44.

2. Describe a symbol or symbolic ritual that you use to promote good luck (or blessings) or ward off bad luck (or evil).

I'll give you an example:

I have many good luck charms that I use depending on the situation. When I travel, I try to keep a St. Christopher's medal with me, and when I'm at home and feel like I'm caught in a rut (of depression or bad luck), I will burn some white sage to clean the air. Also, I have a nazar in my office, my car, and at home to ward off "the evil eye." I'm still alive, so these symbols must be working . . .

Introductions, September 13, 2010

Hello All,

For today's blog, we are going to play a little game called Truths and a Lie.

You need to introduce yourselves: tell us your major, your intended future occupation, your favorite novels, etc. Within this introduction, you need to embed one lie.

Once you've finished your introductions, you need to read others' introductions and see if you can spot the lie.

I'll start:

My name is Matthew Woodman, and I've been teaching at CSUB for ten years. I bought my first car with money I earned from raising pigs in a little town called Springville, and in high school my friends and I would go to the mountains to see if we couldn't find Bigfoot (we never did find him). I went to college on a Basketball scholarship, and I now have a one-year-old son named Bulut (which means "Cloud" in Turkish; my wife is Turkish). I decided to teach English because of my love for the written word and my desire to help others reach their potential.