Victoria Ray's Blog, page 11

The social aspect of the Self

(from the book “Man and his Symbols,” by Carl Jung, M.L. von Franz, and John Freeman, 1964) Most people confuse “self-knowledge” with knowledge of their conscious ego personalities.   Today the enormous growth of population, undeniable in large cities, inevitably has a depressing effect on us. We think, “Oh, well, I am only so-and-so living at the such-and-such address, like millions of other people. If a few of them get killed,...

The Importance of Thomas Mofolo

 Thomas Mofolo has been somewhat overshadowed in the literary world by the writers of African origin who wrote in English, so it is important to mark that he was the first South African author to produce a novel in the (local) African language.   The books  Mofolo is best known for his semi-historical book, Chaka. Still, his other two major works, Moeti oa Bochabela and Pitseng, shouldn’t be overlooked, providing a...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 26 The Board of Eyes /absurdist comedy/ I never knew the darkness could vibrate – through the waves of macabre curse dancing on its own – wrestling with the mindset of ordinary individuals like me while re-modeling my truly pessimistic reality. No doubt, a combination of increasing wealth, foreign stimulation, and political instability throughout the Warrior Farm allowed that darkness to flourish. I felt how the air sang and...

The relation to the Self

(from the book “Man and his Symbols,” by Carl Jung, M.L. von Franz, and John Freeman, 1964)  Nowadays more and more people, especially those who live in large urban cities, suffer from a terrible emptiness and boredom, as if they are waiting for something that never arrives. Movies, games, travels, political excitements, sports may divert them for a while, but again and again, exhausted and disenchanted, they have to return...

The passionate spirit of Charles Péguy

 Facts  Charles Péguy was a French novelist, dramatist, and idealist – who later in life became deeply fascinated by mysticism, the fight against fascism, the search for world peace, and the analysis of artistic genius.  Quotes   “Love is rarer than genius itself and friendship is rarer than love.” “Tyranny is always better organized than freedom.” “We must always tell what we see. Above all, and this is more difficult, we...

We deserve better…

Carbon dioxide levels are higher than they’ve been at any point in the last 3.6 million years. We have witnessed a rise of 2.6 ppm from 2020, the most significant increase since they began measuring atmospheric CO2 levels 64 years ago. I believe the whole world is experiencing that change, but we are nowhere close in improving the situation. This reminds me of the problem with violence. Each year, over 1.6...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 25 Inside of the box /absurdist comedy/   I sat in the bedroom, surrounded by the piles of ‘HOW TO’ books, trying to make sense of the sophisticated writing of Alphonso Beard. Unfortunately, even my university degree couldn’t help me to understand his tips. I fell asleep, exhausted from reading, with my eyes swollen from the constant tension. I heard the arrival of Mrs. Sweet Hellfire, who went upstairs and...

The trajectory of life: Andre Malraux

 “The world has become like the world in my books,” wrote Andre Malraux. The 30s of the XX century were the time of global upheaval and change in Western society. The world was perceived as absurd, and the fate of man as random and nonsensical. Inspired by new literary styles, Andre Malraux turned to existential themes and mythology much earlier than other writers. Many of them, including Camus, called him...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 24 Alphonso Beard or How to Become a Leader  Someone shook my hand – calmly and methodically – as if testing my reaction to the surrounding reality, which was so indescribably sad in the previous days that, finally, I was ready to surrender and accept the tragic fate that foreshadowed my “miserable” future in the Warrior Farm. I grabbed the arm of the new guest with my trembling hands. When...

You are weak. You have failed. Let us help you…

We grow up hearing this message. It sinks into our brain, our attitude, and our being, from the very beginning until the end of our life. It impacts the way we think and how we live our lives. I know this because I am no different. We don’t want to admit the truth and instead, we try to convince ourselves that we’re head-strong and free. For freedom is our birthright...