This is but a fractal; a waking image from an ancient dream. Imperfect. Incomplete.
The two women stand, holding hands, before the spiraling.
Translucent screens for glitching projections; time-stamped, curated, past participles.
Fire-licked, ochred images; candle-glow paint pots of ground amethyst and ruby; flicker of magic lantern; the whirr of one-reelers spooling; click of rumpus room slide shows; hum of micron-thin motherboard.
Earth | sky; clay and bone; dust-moted, dandelion fluffed
voices of their dead; revenant; lore coveted, covened, cosseted.
Burnt aster offering | snaking tattoos; heavy chain of blood and gossamer thread | pandorica
In the millennia between inhale and ex, a step
I had thought, for another prompt (image of asters and butterfly), to write a shadorma about Astraea whose tears created stars and star-flowers. She also is part of the Pandora story as she is the last of the Greek gods to leave earth, ending the Golden Age, once Pandora has opened that infamous box. (Greek myths have this as a pithos – storage jar.) Asters, star-flowers, are Astraea’s tears which fell upon the earth; burnt asters can be used to guard against serpents.
Scholars posit that Pandora morphed/influenced the Judeo-Christian religion; a template for Eve. Like Pandora, Eve is curious. Influenced by a serpent, as the story goes, she takes a bite of the apple. Thus, casting herself and Adam out of Eden – our initial Golden Age? (What happens when you’ve awake at 3 am and one query/search leads to another)
The mlmm photo challenge image looked like a spiraling portal. Got me to thinking. What if Pandora and Eve, armed with the knowledge of how their actions would impact on perceptions and treatment of women for millennium, could go back and alter the time-line. Speculative fiction, and questions asked so, so many times: what if Adam took the first bite? what if Epimetheus (Pandora’s husband) opened the jar? what if the fruit remained on the tree and the jar unopened? what if?
November 27, 2021 at 2:08 pm
Lorraine,
I just sunk into the gorgeously rich imagery, richness I could feed my thought on endlessly, as are your speculations on the Pandora myth and Adam/Eve. Enjoyed it immensely.
Pax,
Dora
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November 29, 2021 at 1:03 am
Thank you. Eve and Pandora lend themselves to what ifs, metaphors and allegories.
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November 25, 2021 at 12:38 pm
Totally cool idea! Yup, I definitely like this story, the possibilities, the what ifs?! It’s a superb tie-in to asters and butterflies – and the notion of the fluttering wings causing ripples …. so time’s alteration is so cool to consider. And these two, as traveling companions, sisters in skin, as it were, is delicious — I think you have the start of 2 muse/companions with many stories to tell/share – when/if they decide to emerge from the shadows. ;)
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November 26, 2021 at 11:33 am
I looked up what message aster flowers sent — that’s how I found Asterea, and from her to Pandora and the end of the Golden Age. (Hadn’t thought of the butterfly ripples: took the prompt image at face value; like that imagery/allegory!) Something I read suggested the link of greek myth to christian ones.
Thanks for the suggestion that Eve and Pandora might become traveling companions for my muse-ifaction. I image others have written then as mismatched indentical twins. Speculative history is an intrequing genre. Heck, since historical fiction has to meet “modern sensitvities” then all history is speculative, lol.
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November 29, 2021 at 4:04 pm
Laughing uproariously at the last line of your comment. 😂
Perhaps someone might have considered Eve and Pandora as traveling companions, but I can honestly say I’ve yet to come across any such notion (as if I have access to all the world’s stages?!!?) – but it really did strike me as unique …. so who knows, it might just be a “free ride” on a very “wicked” adventure ;)
I so hear ya on the “start at point A and end up at X” in the intrigue of writing/crafting/researching …. often happens to me too – things just seem to fall into place :)
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November 25, 2021 at 10:21 am
Interesting story and I love both videos I am very fond of Marina Meena.💜
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November 25, 2021 at 10:42 am
I’m not familar with her music, but I think I will explore more. It’s amazing what you find when you do a query: lyrics with pandora’s box . . .
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November 25, 2021 at 12:42 pm
Yes she had a very hard childhood parents splitting up. She had a long struggle with anorexia.
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November 26, 2021 at 11:33 am
Can hear it in her voice; there is an authenticity to it.
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November 26, 2021 at 1:47 pm
Yes indeed she is amazing 💜
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