What's Bred in the Bone….

…comes out in the flesh. Robertson Davies: one of my FAVORITE authors. As I get on in life, I find his world-view, his philosophy (never stated only implied), his humanity, appeal to me immensely. This work, in which a “daemon” named “Maimas” figures prominently, is captivating. It’s helping me with things I ponder, particularly related to “Our Bones Are Thus.”

“Don’t be distracted by trivialities, said the Daimon Maimas. What do the theologians say? Circumcise yourself as to the heart and not as to the foreskin. And never neglect what is bred in the bone. Do you think it was bred of Francis to be a victim all his life? How would that reflect on me? As a rather superior mortal once said to a sentimental friend, Clear your mind of cant! Shall we continue?”

And, again: “Astrology is part of the science of the past, and of course the science of the present has no place for it, because it is rooted in a discredited notion of the universe, and puts forward a lot of Neo-Platonic ideas that don’t make much sense—until you live with them for awhile. Astrology is based on a notion nobody wants to accept in our wonderfully reasonable Western World, which is that the position of the stars at the moment of your birth governs your life. ‘As above, so below’ is the principle in a nutshell. Utterly dotty, obviously.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the midst of a most agreeably hot summer!