Journal Flip-Page

So, this is my Journal in 2020, wow, was I busy writing?

I want to do this again in 2023, but whew, it is already half of the year.

But anyways, see how I was so dedicated to journaling :)

Visual Journal Entry #6

 Wednesday night, 20230301

Persephone getting some letters/mails/messages from Hades

clue: don't forget to look for the pomegranates 💜

New look, from the teacher's table

 

Writing Prompt: A Letter from Persephone to her friends (20220615)

Writing Prompt: A Letter from Persephone to her friends

Dear Friends,

I am coming to you from the above world, yes, I am back after months long in the dark. A place of total darkness.

Slowly but surely I am getting acclimated to the above world again. My internal clock has been adjusting and actually a lot quicker than the last time, I should really take note of that. Seems like I am also changing from deep within.

My mind has been so caught up with the fast-paced lifestyle here compared to the almost eternally un-moving 'time' in the world deep under, that I easily lose track of what to do next, so I remind myself to always keep a list of things I need to accomplish in correct order. Little gestures like this can save a lot of pains in the future.

So, what am I going to talk about this time? Yes, I am sure you are so tired of my updates about the difference between the under and above. Also, my dear friends, I know you are tired of the dry descriptive write-up on the space I occupy below with Him. Lastly, you are tired of my endless enumeration of our work-filled routine in both worlds.

Like you, I am also tired.

So, I needed to up my narrative, in what way, well I actually don't know yet.

Maybe, I will just list some of the things I don't want to talk about regarding my stay in His realm.

First, I don't want to talk about HIs profound fondness for drama and intensity. I will not talk about how we usually argue about the things we could have avoided by simply talking and listening and conversing with each other. I will not talk about His complicated non-verbal cues that can really be interpreted hugely differently from what He is really wanting to say or tell. I will not talk about how I cried tears after tears because He meant the opposite from what He appeared to have decided on. During times like those, I just remind myself of the Hero Narrative Formula: there should be a curve, I must expect the denouement here and then the resolution there, but wait, there is another plot twist here, aside from the complicated ego-boosting monologue there ~ see, there is a recipe for his profound fondness for drama and intensity, one should just really devote time to understand His 'story' which by the way, is layer upon layer upon layer, so we are talking about intertextuality of layers of narratives being played out by Him. Just be careful when He implodes, because surely nobody's safe when the bomb detonates. If you really want to understand Him and be His companion, you should go through bomb defusing training and keep your hands steady while you perform the critical operation because nobody can help you or save you when he explodes, I don't have to mention that you 'die' with Him when unfortunately you failed to defuse the bomb. But you can try again, because you see, I told you earlier, it is eternal down there. Word of caution, once you go with Him, you can never ever ever go back, it is a one-way ticket, so be warned.

Secondly, I don't want to talk about His fascination for isolation. That's it. Really. I have no words about this. 

Thirdly, I don't want to talk about His disgust of personal celebrations especially when it is about an occasion that will involve people who will greet you or who will pay extra attention to you. Again, I have no words about this.

Mmm, my list dwindled so quickly, I might need to think of other stuff that I can write about.

Perhaps, I will write about some 'slice of life' narrative from the underworld. Perhaps, I will write about how celebrations are celebrated in the underworld. Perhaps, I will write about Cereberus, the loyal overseer when His master is away. Perhaps, I will write about the full moons and new moons in the underworld. Perhaps, I will write about how to get lost in the complicated underworld and still find your way home.

My brain is now so spent after wringing it out for a drop of creativity. Still there is nothing.

Maybe I will come up with other creative output but tonight my pen needs to sleep in its case.

Good night my dear friends.

Love,

Persephone

Writing Prompt: A letter from Persephone to her friends above (20211215)

Writing Prompt: A Letter from Persephone to her friends

Dear friends,

Hello from the dark under. What can I say, it is bone chilling here as days passed by and the cold is threatening to become frost, ready to turn anything liquid and flowing into solid ice. Freezing. Frozen. Ice rock solid.

Much like the silence of this realm, too eerily silent that you can almost touch it. There are days when I want to find a solution on how to melt the ice, but a simple flame wouldn't stand a chance in the tall consuming ice mountain, it is even too foolish to think to try.

Well, I have been alone more and more in this realm since I returned. He has been busy all the time as usual, busy with all the things happening in the never ending cycle of life in this realm, His realm. He is always somewhere else, doing other stuff to keep the place running smoothly. As for me, I am also busy trying to learn a lot about his rhythm, his cycle, his moods, his reactions and so many other things closely related to him. Like his space which is a very empty one, a place where noone stays all the time aside from the sitting space where he stays most of the time when he is 'home'. The space is devoid of any embellishment, it is empty, like a minimalist designed space, full of white space suspended on a polished floor. The walls are empty too, not any picture or painting hanging from its wooden finished surface, but there is a big window, looking out to a garden, with many plants and trees, though the window is not open, no wind can enter from the outside, it is like a one way mirror, we can see from the inside but the outside cannot see us. I occupy a big space on the floor, across from his 'workstation'. Even in a shared space, we are still sitting opposite from one another, we 'see' each other from a distance.

If I have been writing all about him and if you have sensed that my point of view is just all about him and his personal space, that it feels so limited and claustrophobic, it is because I can't venture outside of his space. I am confined in his space/room, I am not permitted outside. The door is heavily locked and only he holds the key. Yes, it seems like I am tied to this empty room, with no company and noone to talk to. He is away all the time so I am just quietly waiting for him to come home or I am just busying myself with reading or writing or doing my own stuff.

Okay, I don't wait for him all the time as I have my own stuff too. Yes, I can still work too. It is just like I am there up above but I am not really there because I am really in the underworld. I am sorry for not having the right words to explain it, it sounds so simplistic and funny actually, but I need more time to process what I am doing so I can explain how I am really doing and faring down below.

But if I can give some glimpses of how my day is in this confined space in this big realm, just picture that I am on the floor still wearing my veil because it is so cold, and I'm doing my stuff as efficiently as I would have done it from above but of course with more interruption because He comes as He pleases any time of the day and when He drops by, I need to pay him all my attention.

Okay, as a tradition I have somehow revealed some secrets of our weird lifestyle to you my dear friends before and here goes some more. Well he might get a bit flustered but it is my diary anyway so it is my choice, here one thing about our lifestyle, ours is governed by a different flow of time, we don't have the usual 24/7 just like above. Just like when you travel to another country and you have to adjust your watch because you have crossed timelines, that's how it is here. The night is endless, but the moon will help you count the days and cycles of this world. 

Also, another one is that He is sweet but demanding and his observation skills are out of this world. Even when He is far away from this empty room, He knows every movement and every small gesture, very sensitive and very attuned.

However, everyone is this realm knows this but it is my privilege to let everyone know that He is a hard worker, intense and involved in every step of the way. He is very methodical and committed to His duties. 

Anyways, I am keeping this letter short again.

I wish for everybody to stay safe and warm during this cold season.

With all my love and affection,

Persephone

Writing Prompt: A Letter from Persephone to her friends (20210615)

Writing Prompt: A Letter from Persephone to her friends

Dear friends,

Time has passed, and it has been a while since I have come back in the above world. It was uneventful, actually. It was just the set-up between the authorities who seem to be in control of my life, which means that I am not really the one behind the wheels when it comes to where I should be in a certain time of the year. I have missed the golden ray of sunrise and the fresh morning breeze, so as much as possible I take them in every single day. I have also missed observing the sky when it is a bright sunny day and the contrast it makes when the clouds are about to pour its water to drench the thirsty soil. The sounds of rain and the wind that comes with it, they are almost a revelation when I get to experience them again here above.

I have been so busy with the everyday affairs in the world that I almost forget to update you. It is a rare chance that I get when I can just sit down and write without interruption. When you have only 6 months in the above world, you have to do almost everything in your power to finish all the tasks given, accomplish all the plans, connect with those who are important and build all that needs to be built. As you can recall, I have 6 months here above and 6 months with him in the underworld. It was a difficult task, actually. To be able to cross the two worlds and dwell in them, it must be very magical and mysterious to the eyes of those un-initiated, but to those few who really understand this, it is full of letting go, little deaths, big deaths and inner conflict, it is like losing yourself again and again to be able to relate fully to the world you are assigned in. It is not only losing yourself, but also you have to build yourself again, in a painfully limited time, hoping each time that you manage to keep the genuine parts of you, that you don’t lose your soul in the process, that you don’t forget the principles of compassion, kindness and selflessness that you built from scratch every single time that you regenerate after losing it all from crossing each world. Do I make sense?

For others it is the death of ego, or the self. The self you painstakingly built from shattered pieces, hoping that the most treasured parts are just near so it is easier to glue them back, but if that is not the case, then you have to spend the day or days not sleeping at all, looking intuitively for that part, which is one of the most difficult part of this endless shattering. Actually, there are times when you don’t know yourself anymore, but that’s worse than death, to just walk aimlessly, just raw blood and flesh, missing the most important parts of you, your heart, your mind, your vision, your senses – it was worse than death, I have to repeat that again and again to make sense, or to finally make sense – yes, indeed there are so many things/situation worse than death. So no matter how painful, one is forced to look for those shattered pieces, losing sleep, losing courage, losing strength, but one must not lose faith. This is one of the most important lessons that I learned in this life, never lose faith.

I apologize that this letter seemed a little heavier and darker than I designed it to be. I would really just like to update you my good friends about the reality of crossing the underworld and the (above) world. Anyways, here I am, writing again, perhaps I can say that I have successfully found some important parts of me, making it possible for me to write about it.

And if anyone is interested, yes he stays in the underworld most of the time because that is his place of reign. But of course, as you are my good friends, I will indulge you with a little secret, he can visit the world from time to time, he is that powerful. Actually, he is very powerful beyond anybody’s imagination. From my very limited knowledge of him, he can do anything he deems necessary. He has infinite ways especially if it is very important to him. I just don’t know if he goes through the same self-shattering when he crosses worlds, but all I can say is that he can be everywhere. In many books and myths, he was said to just stay in his dark kingdom, that’s very true but he can also take some time off from his business in the deep if he has very important things to deal with in the above world.

What is really interesting is that, the more one spends time with him, the more he becomes mysterious and unfathomable. He is prone to escalation and intensity – whether it is about any issue, opinion, idea, everything that he finds amusing. He is a very principled 'man'. Passionate and principled, the mix is truly intoxicating and addicting. There are a lot of them attracted and drawn to him, who can truly resist that kind of 'man'?

Well, I have to cut this letter short. I have lots of things to deal with today. Please stay safe and healthy.

Love,

Persephone

 

An invitation

This is to invite you dear readers to check out my blog From the teacher's table.

It is where I am writing my ideas and insights about education its trends and theories.

Thanks and good night

^^

Writing Prompt: A letter from Persephone to her friends above (20201215)

Introduction: Okay, so I have been  wanting to write something for a long time and I come across a writing prompt about Persephone. For a long time I have been engrossed by the great story of Hades and Persephone, and their tumultuous lives. As in modern interpretation, the abduction part could be compared to other contemporary arts like The Phantom of the Opera.

According to The Conversation:

Erik then sings to Christine of the attractions of his isolated world of darkness and night:

Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night

The plea of Hades to Persephone is quite different in the Hymn, but the desperate loneliness of the two males in their dark realms is something that they have in common.

FYI, I have loved the Phantom of the Opera for a long time, and my friends and I watched the theater production in CCP years ago.

Anyways, here I tried writing something regarding the prompt in the title above. I haven't written something for a long while, so I hope you will be kind to me.

Writing prompt: Persephone writing to her friends 

Dear friends above,

How’s everything going above? I am sure it is bright and sunny, full of colors and smells of nature. It’s been a while since I tasted and smelled and touched and saw the above world. All my happiness and gladness rest in knowing that the above world is as peaceful and clean as I have known it.

It has been a while since I've been living my life here below. It is full of movements, intellectual figuring, forming habits and emotional dependence, most of all emotional instincts. Rare are moments of logical clarity, but I must relentlessly wait for it to come as it is the glue that holds my system here altogether. It is full of emotional instinct, intuitiveness, walking in the dark, auditory instincts – of course I have been blind for a while, with this kind of darkness, this volume of darkness, it will take a while to adjust to it. He has served as my eyes, he willingly volunteered to do it, as he wanted to keep me alive. He is very devoted, very protective, intuitive and skilled in sensing what I need and he has this ability to foresee what would be needed in both the near and far future.

Interestingly he is kind and sweet even romantic. Strong but soft, clear headed at times when he is in control of his humongous emotions. He is intellectual and most of all, intuitive. He has this amazing sense of knowing many things in just one look, because he doesn’t look with his eyes, he looks with his soul. His soul, like his name is ancient. He is hurt beyond my comprehension but he is still alive in his own sense and definition of living.  He is keen about his survival, but if he values you, he will share that self-protection with you – you will become an extension of himself, sensing which way would ensure not only your basic survival but how you could survive in the most wonderful way, the best way of survival. He instinctively knows that I would not survive in his dark world, so he has no choice but to protect me. I still don’t know why he abducted me, but I know he wanted to keep me alive, under his own terms and his own watch. I don’t even know how to keep a secret anymore, he doesn’t take his gaze off me, he is always in my space, contemplating and meditating at the foot of my ‘room’.

I have been blind in this underworld. I realize now that eyes are not important when you are suddenly engulfed in many layers of darkness. No matter how clear my eyes are, they are not going to help me see. He has been my eyes for a long time, stirring me to the right places, driving me to the spaces where it will be safe, guiding my every move. His eyes are not what he uses, he uses his heart and soul to see, those require tremendous energy as opposed to the minimal requirement of the eyes, that’s why he needs to contemplate and go inside himself from time to time, to recharge and rejuvenate. And also to correctly adjust and realize where he wants to go next and what he wants to do next. I can sense that he is too tired sometimes, he has been doing these intense things inside him and even outside him in this realm for so long. When I sense that he is too tired, I try to console him and show him my warm presence. I don’t know if it is enough but eventually he springs to life again and ready to face his challenging fate. But of course, as in natural law, we all grow and we all adjust to the space we have been occupying for a long time, acclimation has been taking place and I am slowly waking up from the infantile situation that I was in. He knows this all too well. He doesn’t try to control it actually, so that is a good news to me. He didn’t stunt my growth and my transformation, he respects natural laws, because I am sure, he is governed by it too. But I sense that he is mortally afraid now that I am waking up beside him. However, I guess because of affection and love, he lets me take my time in growing and he wants it even.

Yes, he could be a tyrant but he doesn’t want to influence in any way my growth, he didn’t touch it with any malady or malice. He kept the purity of it, he kept it safe inside. He is really a mix of love and danger, passion and rage, but he is real and authentic.  

I sense that he is mortally afraid that I now have my own ‘eyes’ to ‘see’, possibly because he expects that I will judge him, in all his darkness and in his own sacred space. But deep in my heart, I know that I am not given this opportunity to be in his intimate space to make him feel bad about himself. It is not in me to judge him, it is in me to help him and serve him. Because I have felt how heavy it is to be given that burden and seen him carry it up to the last of his strength, every single day.

Anyways, I have been playing with his dog, Cereberus. He has three heads and he is very cheerful. He keeps a watchful eye to this dark realm, just like his King. He is fierce, acting like a royal guard to the treasures of this realm.

I have to keep this letter short. I might write again when I find the time.

Love,

Persephone