I don't know if you guys have been over here, but you might want to investigate the site for an upcoming movie, "The Golden Compass," which is set to come out this summer, I think. It's based on a book from His Dark Materials. That means very little to me, sadly, but it might interest some of you.

Anyway, if you visit the site, you might run across the Alethiomometer, which sadly I can't link to because it's within the flash. Check it out. I'm pretty sure there's a strong element of Tarot in the symbols (in the Alethiomometer symbols of the Wild Man, The Sun, The Moon, The World, etc.), but at the same time there's hints of both the Classical Zodiac (Taurus, The Madonna (Virgo?)), and the Chinese Zodiac (Horse, Dragon, Snake) and also the Five Elements...at least I think so. They all have one same basic idea in common with the Alethiomometer as well - Man's fascination with whatever power dictates the universe, and the need to ask questions of that power and receive answers that can be interpreted as some sort of truth. One's nature can be predicted from birth with the help of astrological signs, which in the Chinese Zodiac and the Classical Zodiac both also point to particular elements, which in turn point to more personality characteristics. According to some, astrological signs can also be used to predict how the course of your day, week, month, year, lifetime will proceed based on the planetary alignments and their effect on your sign.

Tarot - and I am not the expert in this by any means, I'm only recounting what tiny bit I've experienced that resonates - seems even closer in nature to the Alethiomometer. Both seem designed with one goal in mind: ask a question of whatever controls the cards (or in this case, the needles), or ask the cards (or the needles) themselves, and receive an answer. As it was explained to me, there are many ways that Tarot cards may be laid out, and the Alethiomometer, with its three 'question' needles and its single 'answer' needle...reminds me somewhat of the three card spread. Not exactly, mind you, but just a little.

The Alethiomometer is set up to look similar to a watch face, with needles...or hands...connecting to a center column. The face of the Alethiomometer is ringed by symbols, as mentioned above, and the three question needles may be moved to any of these symbols, to form a question. The Alethiomometer will then interpret the question, and pop out an answer, in the form of the largest of the four needles displayed moving to another symbol on the face. These symbols have no clear meaning, and may be interpreted by any number of methods. Someone with a background in alchemy might interpret them differently than someone with a background in ancient Egyptian symbolism, and so on. The 'bee' seen on the face of the Alethiomometer might be seen as a symbol of an industrious personality, a 'busy bee,' someone with singleminded focus and intensity. It also might be seen as a symbol of a mindless drone, a creature of habit, following set patterns of behavior and tradition without thinking for itself. Maybe a sign of aggression, or a sign of deep devotion to protect a cause, even at the cost of its own life. I suppose a bee could also be seen as a creature of air, or earth, or both, with the resulting factors that go along with it. You see? It could even boil down to how the bee is drawn, what color it is, that affects interpretation - similar to the experience I had with Tarot.

It's fascinating, and I could be late to work playing with this thing. If you're bored, give it a try! I'll be doing my level best to see this movie this summer, for more reasons than this. Try Craig Morgan (The New and Sexy James Bond) wandering around with a talking snow leopard. Mmm-hmm-hmmm....

After wandering among the bookshelves here and the old leatherbound editions of The Saturday Evening Post and smelling the old bindery glue in the shadows and letting myself calm down, I found the presence of mind to write. No...thankfully I didn't touch "Blues." I would have ultimately gotten myself in trouble with my current state. Instead, I wrote in response to the disagreement with Honda and Bakura as a 'perfect couple' that cairnsy wrote about. Is anybody a 'perfect couple'? I think not. I focused more on the smothering aspect of Honda being the strong presence that he is, more than any kind of 'protective' instinct, but I think I got the point across. I also feel a bit better. I spellchecked it and reread it a few times, and hopefully tonight I can post it here. It's called "Captivity," and I was inspired to write it because of some of the Bakura-feelings were coming through me. I hope I kept them canon - Bakura doesn't give me much to work with in the series, personality wise.