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And look what I found the other day:  

When I saw that smily thing, I laughed for about five minutes! My devil says he thinks it's funny, too, but my angel was angry at me for laughing at it.

Oh, and thanks for the Shakespeare reference.

Dear Bella,
I kindly thank you for another very helpful answer. It's very strange that you should mention Christopher Marlowe's  Dr. Faustus, and it may be a synchronicity. You see, last weekend, I went to a used book fair out of town with my mother. I picked up about thirty used books at 25 cents apiece, and Dr. Faustus was one of them. I grabbed it because I'm a fan of the Faust legend by Goethe, and have also read a book of black magic called The Black Raven, which is attributed to the real Dr. Faustus. I was most pleased to see that my new book contained the Good Angel/Evil Angel counselor spirits that I asked you about. I began reading it immediately, and the introduction refers to the same image that I asked you about, saying that it was popular in Medieval Morality Plays. I now have a new lead to follow in this line of inquiry.

As to the movies you mentioned, none of the video stores in my home town have them, but they seemed to be pretty obscure (being that they're old and I had never heard of them), so this did not surprise me. However, it is my hope that I will eventually be able to track them down and watch them.

On the Shakespeare reference, did SpongeBob happen to mention where Shakespeare makes the claim of having a good Angel and an evil Angel attending on him? Or do I misunderstand you, and the reference to the good and evil Angels is in one of his works? I have a copy of The Complete Works of Shakespeare, which includes all his plays, poetry, and the Sonnets, so if it's in one of his works then I've surely been sitting on it for a long time and simply haven't known about it.

When I first noticed this thread, I was thrilled because I thought it would be a great place to ask all the stupid questions I have that no one knows the answer to- like the ones I asked you earlier. Madam Bella, you have not let me down! I am glad that I asked you and I will be returning with more of these stupid questions. I hope you don't mind, and I hope that I don't invoke the ire of SpongeBob. This is currently my favorite thread on the whole forum.

Respectfully,
the Maharishi Miyagi Yoda

Also, "Everything is True; Nothing is Permitted".

That's about the funniest thing I've seen all week.

Admit it: you got #2 after reading The Rule of Four.


I would like to add to the list almost anything by Philip K Dick: a paranoid schizophrenic writing mind-warping science fiction.  Books of note: Ubik, A Scanner Darkly, Flow my Tears, the Policeman Said.

Not true. I actually first heard of it when an acquaintance of mine recommended it to me. Incidentally, he didn't hear of it from The Rule of Four either; he did his Master's Thesis on it- entitled "The Method of Loci in theHypnerotomachia Poliphi." He intends to publish his thesis, but his efforts have not been successful.

I've never read Philip K. Dick, and that's a crying shame, I know.

Many Discordians are avid readers. This is a place where the readers among us can talk about their all-time favorite reads, and find out what other Discordians are reading. If you decide to post on this thread, please include the titles of your favorite books, the author, and a little information about the book (enough info to let anyone reading your post know if they would be interested in reading the book, but not so much info that it spoils the book). Hopefully, this thread will become a place we can go to when we want to read a good book, but aren't sure what book we should read. I'll start.
1) The Bible, by various authors. This is the Holy Book of Christianity. It gives an account of the creation of the world, tells the history of the Hebrew peoples and the revelations of their prophets, and tells of the life of Jesus of Nazareth and the early history of Christianity.
2) Hypnerotomachia Poliphi, by Francesco Colonna. This book tells the story of a man's struggle for love in a dream. In the dream, Poliphilo finds himself alone in dark forest. From there he travels throughout the dreamscape, conversing with spirits, visiting many strange places, and witnessing many marvels, all in his quest to win the heart of his beloved Polia. It is a tale full of symbolism and allegory in story, language, architecture, landscape, and costume. An obscure classic from the 15th century.
3) Beelzebub's Tales to His Grandson, by G.I. Gurdjieff. This book is told from the point of view of the Devil, who (according to the book) was sent to earth by God to make humans stop making bloody sacrifices to idols. He sits on his throne in his spaceship, recounting his adventures among men throughout earth's history to his adoring grandson who pesters him with questions about humans.
4) Dogma et Rituel de la Haute Magie, by Eliphas Levi Zahed. This book gives an account of the doctrine of ceremonial magic and gives instruction in the practice thereof, as told by 19th century French Occultist Eliphas Levi. Aleister Crowley cites it as one of the biggest influences on his own philosophy of magic.
5) The Spiritual Guide, by Miguel de Molinos. This obscure but very curious book that gives the reader instruction on how to contact his "Spiritual Guide", an inner voice that will guide him to wisdom and happiness.
6) Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carrol. Tells the tale of a young girl's adventures in a magical land that she found herself in after falling down a rabbit's hole.
7) The Book of Thoth, by Aleister Crowley. Probably the best book about the Tarot that I've ever encountered. Definitely not for beginners, however.
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley. The tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, told from the point of view of the women in the story, rather than the men.
9) Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, by Max Heindel. An esoteric book that explains Rosicrucian views on the composition of the human body, mind and soul, the structure of the universe, and man's history and purpose.
10) The Complete Brothers Grimm Faerie Tales, by the Brothers Grimm. A compilation of many old European faerie tales that were handed down from one generation to the next.

There are many other books I wanted to include, but I figure ten is really pushing it. So come on, you, don't be afraid, tell us all about your favorite books!

Dear Bella,
Your answer to Part the Second of my question was very helpful. In all the time that I've been puzzling over the Ass-headed man image, of all the people I've asked about it, you are the first person to mention Pinocchio. When I asked you, I had never seen Pinocchio, and all anyone had ever told me about the film was to let your conscience be your guide and if you lie your nose will grow. I followed up on this lead and rented Pinocchio from a local video store, and was very pleased with what I saw, not just the Donkey stuff, but Blue Faerie and Pleasure Island and the Giant Whale all combined together to leave me feeling that I had just witnessed a classic. This prompted me to follow up with some internet research on Pinocchio, which, as I found, was inspired by a 19th century Italian children's story. I have not finished reading the story, but I am already very impressed by it. You have done much to assist me in my frantic search for my lost donkey, and I eagerly await the reply of the Pythoness of the SpongeBob Oracle on Part the First of my question.

Respectfully,
the Maharishi Miyagi Yoda

We have left our lives
We have left our land
We have left behind
All we understand
Now we must cry out
Yes, we must demand
That our children live
In a land that's low
Where the holes are deeper
Than light can go
Let them have not pride
But instead a soul
That can see the shame
Of the hands that glow

-The Residents, "the Hole Workers new Hymn", from Mark of the Mole.

That sounds really neat. I'm not used to finding someone else with an interest in the Whore of Babylon. Are you planning to post and/or publish your work when you're done? I might post my paintings sometime, but first I have to find someone to take decent photos of them. None of my work is digital, so it has to be photographed and then scanned in.

Publish? Dear no; I don't even know how that's done. I might post it, but I'm not sure where; when it's done (stuff like this is never really done) it'll probably be too long to post on a forum like this one. It may be possible to put it up in abbreviated form. We'll see what happens.

If you ever put photos of your paintings on the internet, definitely let me know. I collect pictures of the Whore of Babylon.

Paintings, eh? I'd like to see them. I've been working on some Erisiana that showcases the Mother of Prostitutes and of the Abominations of the Earth. Unlike most Erisiana, it isn't intended to make people laugh. It involves Our Lady of Babylon, Eris Discordia, and the Statue of Liberty, all as symbols of Freedom and the Responsibility that comes with Freedom. I draw a lot of inspiration from the Bible, Aleister Crowley, and Discordianism, as well as other things. It's still lead though; not gold yet.

That's awesome. I like just about anything that features Babylon, whether it's about the Rivers, the City, or the Great Whore. I think Babylon is one of the most potent living symbols in Imagination's repertoire, and it's an idea that I've been fixated on for quite some time.

"By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps,
for there our captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How can we sing the songs of the Lord
while in a foreign land?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.
Remember, O Lord, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell
"Tear it down", they cried,
"tear it down to its foundations!"
O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destuction,
happy is he who repays you
for what you have done to us-
he who seizes your infants
and dashes them against the rocks."

-Psalm 137

It starts out really sad, but ends with smashing babies against rocks. WOW.

www.sacred-texts.com
Great resource for researching Religion, Mythology, Esoterica, and the Occult. Virtually every Holy Book known to modern man can be found there!
www.esotericarchives.com
Best website on Magic and the Occult that I know of, and it's all primary sources!

Dear Bella,
This question has been bothering me since childhood. It comes in two parts.
Part the first: In many children's cartoons, especially the old Warner Bros. cartoons, when the cartoon character is confronted with a moral dilemma, s/he is often depicted with a little Angel hovering over his right shoulder, whispering "good" into his ear, and a little Devil hovering over his left shoulder, whispering "evil" into his ear. Where, how, why did this image originate?
Part the second: In these same children's cartoons, when a cartoon character does something stupid or is tricked or fooled, s/he is often depicted with a donkey's head. Where, how, why did this image originate, and how did it come to be associated with foolishness/stupidity?

the Maharishi Miyagi Yoda,
still wondering.

Walking women want to see
The Southern Cross at night
And so they set aside a sock
And tie their laces tight.

Yes, mournful is the melody
That echoes in their heads
Without a beat they march along
Believing Bach is dead.

-The Residents, "Bach is Dead"

Part ONE, eh?