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Quite a bit lighter than my usual morning fare, but all’s well. Maybe it will set a different tone, this homage to The Universe of the Sea. I’ve precious little to say this morning. The weekend couldn’t have come soon enough and rain or sun, it’s the weekend. I’m down with that. I’ll spend it as close to the water as possible, and maybe divine some magic. There’s a word for this, so maybe some input from my friends at Merriam-Webster:

hydromancy

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Definition of hydromancy

: divination by the appearance or motion of liquids (such as water)

Did You Know?

If you’ve ever encountered a sorceress or a wizard peering into a “scrying bowl” as part of a movie or a book, you’ve witnessed a (fictionalized) version of “hydromancy.” The word has been used since at least the 14th century to describe the use of water in divination – examples include predicting the future by the motion of the tides or contacting spirits using still water. “Hydromancy” is believed to derive ultimately from the Greek words for “water” (“hydōr”) and “divination” (“manteia”); it came to English via Latin hydromantia. The ancient Greeks who relied on hydromancy also gave us the names for related forms of divination, such as “necromancy” (using the dead), “pyromancy” (with fire), and even “rhabdomancy,” a fancy and now rare word for “divination with wands or rods.”

I used to sit by the lake every morning and every evening, and surely it was magical thinking, but I’d imagine that the shape of the coming day or days would be shaped by the conditions on the surface of the water. Foolish to even think for a moment that it was a good idea to put fate in the hands of mythology or imagination. Any truths of physics and the physical world aside, it’s probably best to rely on actionable plans than the rainbow, woo-woo realm. Anyway, not to be negative because there’s nothing wrong with being somewhat of an animist from time to time and sit in the sand and try to draw the power of the spirits of the ocean into oneself. You end up, at the very least, with a lovely view, no?

Don’t know that I’m feeling Mr. Guiot though, but I’ll share anyway. His musical vision of the seas is interesting and very reminiscent of late 1970s. A lot of musicians and artists still had a great affinity for the natural world and often tried to recreate it in their craft. Electronic musicians prior and hence seem more bent on imagining separate or alter-universes. That’s painting the musical scenes with a fairly broad brushstroke of course, but that’s my experience. I do wonder though had I not seen the title of this album if it would have evoked images of the ocean. It’s easily felt with the seed already planted. There’s a fluidity of motion for sure, but it might have had to be pointed out before becoming readily ‘visible.’

On an entirely different note, I may just be too old for bicycling through traffic. The ride from downtown is a lot less hectic when half of Brooklyn is observing the Sabbath.