McAllister's Mates Thirty Two
Hi all
A wonderful essay - and a path to a contemplative practice by Jaime Hoerricks, PhD and a collaborative fantastical lyrical ballad between The Black Knight and ArcadianWeald.
These reviews are part of Reviewstack run by the great writer and pillar of the Substack Community : Thaddeus Thomas
McAllister’s Mates - An ongoing series of reviews of some of the wonderful articles, poems, and stories I’ve discovered on Substack (and other places) and more importantly the beautiful souls behind the works.
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Please take a few moments to read the works of these authors, artists, and creators and if you find their work as life-affirming and life changing as I do, then please let them know. We need to support and cherish these voices.
You can meet some of my other friends in the previous instalments: 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
If you want to keep me in caffeine (and keep the ghostly voices whispering for the poetry side of things) - consider clicking below. For any who do so, you have my deepest gratitude.
Jaime Hoerricks, PhD
I’ve noticed a few odd coincidences (Jung might call them synchronicities) in the academic/scientific literature that’s crossed my path recently. Scientists and serious academics are grappling with questions about the interplay between imagination and lived experience that I’ve stumbled upon through poetic contemplation.
This brings me to the exciting work of Jaime Horrocks, PhD. The opening lines sparkle, expressing disdain for the linear metaphors of ladders as applied to psychological development. A wonderful rejection of Newtonian physics (which actually falls far short of how the physical world really operates) as applied to self. In a world where we learn facts to achieve test scores to obtain the “good job” to achieve status to earn better distractions to drown out the voice inside us crying out for more - this is a call to pursue genuine understanding.
Indeed a rejection of these traditional hierarchies and leaderboards seems to be a very necessary step towards something like self-actualisation. However, I’m aware of how dangerous gamified terms like enlightenment and self-actualisation are in the investigation of self - ladders masquerading as bridges.
This article not only points out the mistakes of our current paradigm, which is causing vast harm both to our internal and external worlds, it also offers an alternative, and perhaps more importantly a practice. A psychic (of the mind, not supernatural) method of investigation, recording, and understanding much like the scientific method (when applied without the pressures of politics and private funding - a rant for another day). There are rich contemplations and questions here that cause the reader to doubt their current standing but not themselves, and to embrace confidence in their entire being but not external achievements. I will not quote these questions here as I feel that you must come to them in the manner and order of Jaime’s writing so that your mind is primed and fully receptive to the wisdom they contain.
The article is bridged by a wonderful poem that weaves together all the ideas and concepts already discussed. While certainly enjoyable, memorable, and underpinning the emotions of these philosophical ideas, the poem actually works as a vital part of the process and cognitive journey the article takes us on. In a work devoted to using language to understand ourselves across all dimensions - this is an intelligent move. Academic writing, personal journaling, and poetic thought meet to create a space where we encounter our whole being.
To bring things full circle- this work found me at the perfect time. I’ve become convinced of the existence of a psychological space where art, linguistics, science, and even spirituality meet as equal partners. It is a place we can find not only within ourselves but also at a societal level - we can and we must come together there. Jaime’s work is an excellent road map to that greater state of being, I look forward to meeting you there.
The Black Knight and ArcadianWeald
This is a beautifully crafted lyrical ballad in the vein of Robert Browning’s Pied Piper of Hamelin and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s Lady of Shalott. This sort of epic poem that emphasises fantastical imagery and musicality is a sadly rare item in modern times. It is strange for a media landscape where fantasy stories are delivered thick and fast (to varying degrees of quality), that one of the richest and perhaps most appropriate forms of storytelling in fantasy literature is so neglected.
The imagery is timeless, weaving a creation myth of elven beings brought forth as an expression of a Goddess’ love and grace. Great battles, tragedy, daring, and hope follow. However, the lyrics also interweave very intriguing references to Daemons and night terrors. The overall dreamlike mood of the piece coupled with the references to Daemons (intermediary spirits between the mortal and spirit worlds - not to be confused with “demons”), bring the piece into the world of the metamyth. My personal feeling is that we’re not just walking through the telling of a magical story, we are also walking through the shared dream. The elves, I think, are the embodiment of our private fantasies - not flat, representational symbols but living entities building and growing together in a shared space. In that context perhaps the goblins and giants become the mundane pressures that would steal our dreams or twist them into stunted fantasies of worldly desire. We can only hope that our courage and spirit can raise its “silvery blade” in defence of our imaginations and perhaps even our minds.
Lyrical poetry at its best unites and deepens the layers of story, imagery, and contemplations through its cadences, melodies, and rhyming movements. The poem excels in this area: the scenes of mystery, tragedy, and rising hope gain weight and vitality through the musicality of the language. The metre and rhyming schemes create a song in the mind that reveals the words behind the words. Hard syllables bring to life clashing blades, the crunching march of armoured warriors and grinding teeth of monstrous goblins. Softer flowing movements and feminine rhymes catalyse the passage on the elves’ wisdom, the mystery of the Goddess, and the spirit of hopefulness that encircles the poem like gentle wings. This is a wonderful collaboration between a storyteller’s deep lore and fully formed characters, and a lyricist’s flowing language, and evocative imagery - I am looking forward to reading more from this wonderful partnership.
I hope you enjoy these beautiful works as much as I enjoyed reading and writing about it.
You can meet some of my other friends in the previous instalments: 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Substack has proven to be a treasure trove and I already have a few more gifted writers lined up for my next review newsletter.
P.S Subscribe for your chance to get your work reviewed here! You can also claim your FREE book of Poetry and art Hypnos Hermes - an epic poem presented as a medieval manuscript. A fantastical story written in verse enriched by many colourful and vibrant artworks.
If you want to keep me in caffeine (and keep the ghostly voices whispering for the poetry side of things) - consider clicking below. For any who do so, you have my deepest gratitude.
Your musings are a delight.
I am so happy that our combined writings gave you joy!