Deep

So here in sunny San Diego, I live in a studio.

Today I visited the pool to blow of some oh-God-finals steam. After nearly drowning myself a few times, I went to thaw out in the hot tub with another woman from my complex.

We started talking and she asked me how to go about finding a roommate. She then mentioned she lives in a two bedroom apartment, which was the original arrangement I was supposed to have been in with a roomate. I went to visit the place, which seemed nice enough even though it was no personal studio, and she gave me some cookies. She was a very nice, warm, and relaxed woman.

Bad Marisa really likes my studio, but Good Marisa really likes the notion of her parents retiring in style. So I phoned up my parents to tell them what I had discovered. To which my dad replied that he didn't really care about the money as much as me doing the best that I could. They may still meet the woman, who's name is Beatrice, when they visit here this Saturday. But yeah, don't I have awesome parents? That's basically why I'm telling this story.

Apparently, some people are fighting to keep non-Jewish people off the Brooklyn memorial. Because the lesson we learned from WWII is that discrimination is a good thing. I'm just going to run in the opposite direction from the madness now.

Going back to seriously reading the real news is one of my summer plans.

One of my licorice gouramis died today. This made me sad.

Here is a quote I am thinking about at the moment(I read this a long time ago, but have the book here):

"In order to make simple the great truths of Nature and the abstract principles of natural law, the vital forces of the universe were personified, becoming the gods and goddesses of the ancient mythologies. While the ignorant multitudes brought their offerings to the altars of Priapus and Pan...the wise recognized in these marble statues only symbolic concretions of great abstract truths."
-From The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall

The reasons I wanted to discuss this here are twofold. The first is, of course, the intellectual beauty inherent in the statement, which is not captured here in full. Actually, I could go on all day in regards to this subject, so let's leave this here as less of a discussion and more of an observation.

However, the second reason I want to discuss this quote is less complementary. Chris and I used to have discussions about secret societies, and he stated vehemently that he would never join one. This quote, I think, personifies why, and a lot that is wrong with those that extol this sort of knowledge. Though, of course, going further along this vein, once could state that believing to know the truth is the root of most elitism. The rest of humanity cannot possibly comprehend, which is why they disbelieve.
I do think there are certain beneficial symbolic factors to keeping some things a secret. Though, Isreali Regardie published the teachings of The Golden Dawn, and how many people in the modern day still recognize the teachings of one of the more influential secret societies? No matter what the knowledge or wisdom, it is generally sought or catches attention to be truly absorbed. In this day and age, being published and available does not keep something from being a secret.
Anyways, I think that the mainstream would benefit from the acceptance that this branch of knowledge/wisdom/something actually is very relevant and not simply hokey-pokey nonsense(thanks Protestant and Industrial revolution!) and that humans in general are just a littttttle bit smarter than elitist snobs think.