the belly of the whale

In Joseph Campbell's "Hero With A Thousand Faces" he talks about the hero, any hero, sitting on the beach, or on a boat, waiting to fling himself into the mouth of the whale, or sea monster, whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Once in side the belly of the whale you are presented with absolute knowing and clarity. In the belly of the whale you can see all things, mountains, rivers, valleys, your future, your past.


Diving into the monster grants you access to beauty within yourself.
Maybe this is why we look for trouble as human beings. Hoping to find some clarity in these frightening situations.

"Medusa was a Gorgon, one of three sisters and daughters of ancient, pre-titan gods, Phorcys and Ceto.

The sisters Sthenno and Euryale were immortal but the third, Medusa, was mortal. All three were so hideous (“not to be approched and not to be described” according to Hesiod) that the mere shock of seeing them would turn anyone to stone. Medusa is called The Gorgon or simply, Gorgon. She is also the “Mistress of the West Gate of Death” because her home lay at the entrance to the Underworld on the side of the western Ocean. She is the Krone Goddess in her most terrible aspect."


This brings us to an interesting case where the subject was a goddess AND a monster. This also states that she was a mortal, which brings into question why she gained the role of a god-like character. She symbolized the female genitalia, and also the female sexuality, sort of like a really really mean Aphrodite.

This makes me think of the whole idea of TRANSFORMATION, which William hit upon in his werewolf post. I think the idea of transformation could be a very interesting idea to physicalize. What if you were faced in a position to actually transform? Even if you were adopting an evil role. How could you resist the transformation? Why are we not transformed into monsters in modern times when we do wicked things? Or are we simply emotionally and spiritually transformed.

As far as her becoming a goddess, how does a mortal deal with the information that they are inherently given some greater task than the simply human routine. What do you think about when this information is given to you?
I think it would be alot of responsibility.

Werewolves - Developed from Human Instinct?

Werewolves are thought to be created in many different ways. In modern fiction often the werewolf is transformed by the bite of another werewolf. Other werewolves are transformed by incantations, curses, and even in some cases a pact with the devil.

When we look at the werewolf we see a beast breaking free of the inner human psyche. Is this the animal instinct of humans breaking free? Maybe the werewolf is created from a tremendous emotional or physical experience. When a werewolf transforms we often see the moon is somehow involved, where did this come about?

In Native American mythology the idea of a werewolf is looked at from a dream state. The dream that you are a wolf or running with wolves. You are being called by the wolf spirit, or on a dream quest to see the wolf spirit. A dream is often at night, the moon shines at night, is this where the idea that werewolves are triggered by the moon comes from?

The most interesting part of the werewolf is the metamorphosis. The transformation from human to animal. Often the victim undergoes a series of horrible spasms and growths. When I think about how the transformation begins, I see a person lying down. They were just in a torrent of wind that left them dazed and confused. This tremendous physical extreme has left them in a weakened state. In this weakened state they can no longer control themselves. They resort to their animalistic instincts and suddenly tear themselves apart from the inside out. The transformation is complete, but what stands before us, human or beast?

some goddesses!

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She was the goddess of springtime and, after her abduction by Hades she became his wife and Queen of the underworld for six months of each year. The mint and pomegranate is sacred to her.

Aphrodite is the goddess of love, desire and beauty. In addition to her natural gifts she has a magical girdle that compels anyone she wishes to desire her. There are two accounts of her birth. One says she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. The other goes back to when Cronus castrated Uranus and tossed his severed genitles into the sea. Aphrodite then arose from the sea foam on a giant scallop and walked to shore in Cyprus. She is the wife of Hephaestus. The myrtle is her tree. The dove, the swann, and the sparrow her birds. Her favorite lover is the god of war, Ares. She represented sex, affection, and the attraction that binds people together.

i asked someone today what they thought of when they thought of the word "monster", and she said " my father".

this opened up some thought as to what the possibilities of a monster could be. i think many people would answer the same question in the same light. i just thought that was an interesting answer.

The Inanimate

1: not animate: a: not endowed with life or spirit b: lacking consciousness or power of motion

A couple of the topics so far sparked some thought into my on going study of "inanimate." I think the conscious study started after I read The Floating Opera by John Barth. In one of the first chapters the main character freezes in the street. Later he is told that he suffered from intellectual paralysis. I love that phrase "intellectual paralysis." Thinking literally stopped him in his tracks. And I think this caused an interest of inanimation to invade my life. It has often taken on dark tones. I did a too much light piece where I tell a story about my life through a voodoo skeleton figurine, a dashboard hula girl, and a small globe of the earth. I finally admit that this inactivity through objects is about my own inactivity in my own life, but I only share this personal information with a white expressionless mask on my face.
So these ideas are already in my head but I do think it is a great exploration for physicality in the topic at hand. As the definition aforementioned states inanimate is without a soul. This reminds me of many of the perceived monsters, the vampire has damned his soul, the zombie may not have a soul at all. And what of objects coming to life? It is magical, it is mythical. In Jason and the Argonauts skeletons are brought to life from the teeth of a dragon. Inanimate also are the God idols worshipped by the Greeks, the Eqyptians, etc... that the Christians tried to do away with so desperately in their own religion, only to replace it with a man dead on a cross.
The body is a great tool to be used in the portraying and transformation of the inanimate.

devil dolls or evil toys?

i don't know if these are considered monsters...
but what about devil dolls and evil toys?
like possessed toys.
like chuckie!
hmm?
maybe?