‘There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort…’ J.R.R. Tolkien, describing Hobbits (in The Hobbit).
You could say much the same about our pet cats and dogs, or even their ferile cousins. And yet we are so often besotted, bewitched and enchanted by our furry four-legged companions.
Equally, one could talk about studying literature, erudition, etc. Or one could speak of bibliomancy. Or just plain reading. Whatever way, words, images, thoughts, all have strange occult – as in unseen (yes, even images!) – powers.
Science may describe or unweave the rainbow. But reality is no less mind-blowing at the end of the day. And, truth be told, our pursuit of sciences actually makes the world ever more magical, considered from certain vantage points.
Anyway, this post touches on all these things, through the lens of Guardians of Being. Ordinarily I’m not that receptive to books in this line. Especially not when they’re imprints of Hay House. *
But yesterday, whilst tidying our blue room, with a view to letting it out, I re-discovered a book my mum gifted to me, back in 2015. I read it one sitting (30 minutes or less?). The text is very minimal.
And it was a good read for me at exactly that moment. And probably will be at many others. Perhaps I had to wait this long to get more from it? I had read it closer to the time I was first given it. And I enjoyed it back then.
But it spoke much more powerfully to me just now. Doubtless due to a much changed context.
In terms of reviewing this book, separate to what it’s meant to me in this particular moment (that experience was more ‘five star!), I’d give the imagery four stars and the text three. Hence three and a half overall.
I’m much more a cat than a dog person. Indeed, whilst dogs can be cute, their strong smell (cats have a divine subtle feline smell, which I adore), over intense attachment, and most especially their appalling barking, really put me off.
McDonnell’s style is not particularly to my aesthetic tastes. He’s clearly very good. And there are some excellent images. This is amongst my favourites, both visually and conceptually:
Perfect day pic
Eckhart Tolle I have more trouble with. I’m not big on new-age self-help gurus. They’re usually quacks and charlatans. Ulrich Leonard Tolle changing his name to Eckhart doesn’t lift his insights or pronouncements to any higher level. And some of what he says about animal consciousness here is open to scrutiny and debate.
Nevertheless, on a very basic level I’m totally in agreement with the core of what Tölle (which is apparently a German word naming ‘great’) is saying. One of my gripes with modern society is its failure to provide the space or means in which we can ‘just be’.
* Read more on this theme here…