My Own Magical Roundabout

You make my head spin,
You're my own carousel!

"Mon manège à moi", Édith Piaf (1958)

All righty-Roo... The less young of us might remember the magic words from Zebedee, the red moustached Jack-in-the-box magician, keeper of the Magic Roundabout, who would teleport us to Beautywood to meet all its unusual characters: Dougal the drop-eared Terrier, Ermintrude the diva cow, Brian the unsophisticated snail, Dylan the dopey rabbit, and Mr McHenry the gardener on his tricycle. I am, of course, referring to the stop motion animation TV show for children created by the French ORTF in the 1960's, rebroadcast time and time again over the following decades until the release of a 3D modernised version (à la Wallace & Gromit) in 2006.

The Magic Roundabout's short shaggy-dog stories with a touch of British humour  certainly appealed to many children and adults alike as it turned out a great success all over Europe, but especially in the United Kingdom where it attained cult status. However, the BBC found the French-language scripts charming but too difficult to dub in English and chose instead to use the French footage with new English-language scripts that bore little relation to the original storylines. Beautywood was a poetic, whimsical world, fully based on imagination and set against a surrealistic backdrop of vivid colours. Each story began at Mr Rusty's roundabout where Florence and his friends took a ride before the famous Zebedee would make us count to three to shift (as if using a portkey) to this marvellous kind of psychedelic Wonderland.

Horses chasing
'Cause they're racing
So near yet so far
On a carousel...
On a carousel...

"On A Carousel", The Hollies (1967)

This memory from my early childhood came back suddenly upon discovering that beautiful vintage roundabout at the entrance of Parc Monceau in Paris. Since a picture wouldn't fully capture its magic, I decided to film it instead. On this moment, I would have given anything to be a toddler again with no metal pin in my leg so as to be able to ride one of those horses, airplane, coach or maybe the Nautilus — try them all, why not!

Instead, I allow my imagination to carry me away and let the happy memories resurface. All without revelling in nostalgia nor regrets. For I've finally understood that this is what prevents us to be in the now and lowers our vibration. And right now, in the midst of this spiritual war to regain our balance and unicity, expressing our anger or hatred won't help us win against the Grim Masters. Rather, taking our own responsibility for our vibration to change the morphic field is how we'll succeed. Stop feeding egregores. Disconnect from sources of anxiety that, under the guise of wanting to preserve you, get you bogged down into ill-being.

Stop screwing your mind with a world spinning wrong. Use some common sense, for god's sake! Ride against the nonsense and watch it shift from upside down to downside up.

No above no below. If this makes any sense to you.

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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Bowled Over

I discovered Tibetan bowls through an article by Ethan Lazzerini on crystal cleansing in which he argues in favour of sound cleansing rather than the conventional methods with water, salt or sun/moonlight that not only can be damageable to some crystals, but may also turn out to be polluted sources whereas singing bowls produce pure vibrations.

Although originating from Tibet, these carved-out metallic bowls are made in Nepal and India too. They are so ancient that their origin remains uncertain. Some suggest they were just everyday items whilst others claim they were used by Himalayan shamans of the pre-Buddhist era. However, since ancient times they have been used in ceremonial and secular music and also by Buddhists to mark the beginning and end of prayers. Introduced in the West in the mid-1960's, they are mostly used for meditation, sound therapy, chakra balancing, and cleansing.

Traditionally, singing bowls are handmade and hammered from alloy plates with a high brass (or bronze) ratio, ideally using five or seven different metals, each associated with  one of the seven chakras or seven heavenly bodies of the solar system:

• lead: root chakra  - Saturn - do/C
• tin: sacral chakra - Jupiter - ré/D
• iron: solar chakra - Mars - mi/E
• copper: heart chakra - Venus - fa/F
• mercury: throat chakra - Mercury - sol/G
• silver:  third-eye chakra - Moon- la/A
• gold: crown chakra - Sun - si/B

While handcrafted production of singing bowls is still available in Nepal, the modern ones found in China or India are shaped by machine-lathing and given their increasing popularity, you should be wary of cheap “fake” bowls containing too much iron or tin which can't “sing” and will produce a dull metallic sound — like you're hitting a saucepan — that will quickly stop or won't rise in vibration.

Singing bowls are usually sold with a cushion to enhance the sound and a wooden stick (or a mallet) — that may be covered with leather or rubber — which is used to gently slowly rub the outside of the bowl or strike it like a gong. The larger the diameter, the deeper and low-pitched it will sound. But as with any musical instrument, many other factors come into play regarding the quality of the note produced such as the different metal ratio of the alloy used, the striking (or rubbing) stick as well as the skill of the user which, like many  things, comes from practice.

Below is the “song” I managed to produce with my 3.7 inch singing bowl handcrafted in Nepal with an alloy of seven metals and a peach wooden stick (you can clearly hear some rubbing noises due to my lack of experience and the wear of the stick which I"ve slightly damaged in my early attempts to make it sing while forcefully striking instead of rubbing):

Listen to audio

The vibrations produced by Tibetan bowls while “singing” create a wonderful sensation of well-being, the sound waves passing through our body and vibrating the water molecules it is primarily made of. Some recommend “warming them up” before playing to allow them to unleash all their energy. You may define singing bowls in terms of Yin and Yang: the lower their pitch, the more related to the Yin energy of the lower body and material planes; conversely, the higher the pitch, the more related to the Yang energy of the upper body and etheric planes.

Sound will be the medicine of the future.
~ Edgar Cayce

Metaphysically, singing bowls transmute negative or unbalanced energy and raise the vibration of everything within their scope of action, passing through atoms and walls.

So please, feel free to shake the walls (and your neighbours) for the highest good of all!

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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An English Summer

True to the must-write blogging trend that is for posting your good read list for the summer holiday season, I'd like to share with you two thrillers by my favourite authors that kept me transfixed as much by the quality of both plots as their engaging bruised protagonists, and which you might like to read as well.

The Butterfly Tattoo

The agony and ecstasy of a teenage love affair inspires this tense, romantic thriller. Sixth-former Chris falls in love with Jenny the moment he sets eyes on her as he works at an Oxford ball. But as their relationship blossoms, tragedy and violence wait in the wings. For Chris's boss has a shady past that won't stay hidden. And his ruthless enemies will use two innocent teenagers to exact their revenge on him...

This novella by Philip Pullman was initially published in 1992 as The White Mercedes and reissued a couple of years later as The Butterfly Tattoo on the occasion of a film adaptation. Though this thriller for young adults won Pullman critical acclaim upon release, he also got highly criticised by recent readers, mostly fans of the famous His Dark Materials trilogy who couldn't relate to a world where smartphones had not been invented yet (sic). I cannot develop this point any further without risking to spoil the plot, whilst the opening line gives us a massive hint of the tragic ending. Even so, you can't avoid getting caught by the building suspense of this doomed intrigue full of twists and turns and impossible romance between two teenagers caught in the midst of a murky story of betrayal and revenge against a backdrop of Irish war and London mob.

Lethal White

When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic. Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott—once his assistant, now a partner in the agency—set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside. And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike’s own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been—Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.

As every one knows ever since the release of the first volume of the Cormoran Strike series, Robert Galbraith is actually the second pen name J.K. Rowling took to write  crime fiction undercover. Unfortunately, she was immediately spotted (leaked?) and exposed. Which is finally insignificant for even if Robert Galbraith and the author of the Harry Potter series had been two distinct individuals, I would have loved reading his books all the same. Though for all I know, I  probably wouldn't have heard of them. All I can say is the lady is a master in weaving stories within stories and you end up eager to know the outcome of the relationship between Cormoran and Robin as well as the resolution of the main plot. Although, the guidelines of the genre are always so appearant so as the well-established recipe Rowling seems to apply systematically but so brilliantly and efficiently that it's irrelevant to mention. This novel may be read independently, still it's preferable to have read the previous three (The Cuckoo's Calling, The Silk Worm, and Career Of Evil) to enjoy (and understand) the subplot. Lethal White, referring to a genetic syndrome affecting white foals, was published in September 2018.

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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Toe Wriggling

Toe socks (also known as finger socks, glove socks, 5-toe socks or digital socks) first appeared in the United States in the late 1960's — though the Japanese tabi is an earlier variant dating back to the 16th century, which is like mitten socks with a separate compartment for the big toe only. Among other things, these socks allow better toe movement, less sweating, and improved balance and posture.

I came across these after ordering a yoga kit online. The pair enclosed looked like fingerless gloves for feet with grippy soles. And yes, I immediately felt more balanced and more stable on my feet. Eventually, I became fed up with regular socks that keep slipping all the time and inevitably end curled up by the toe when you walk a lot with boots. So I did a research to find out whether toe socks were available not just for sportswear which fortunately turned out to be the case. Since I've been wearing them, gone are calluses and foot pains. I don't even sweat anymore even with trainers in hot weather. A forceful argument against frictions, blisters, and athlete's foot. But not only.

Strong Footing

Many diseases start with your feet.

Japanese saying

Our feet are the basis of our mobility. Their structure consists of a complex system of nerves, blood vessels, bones, joints, muscles and tendons and they are one of the most heavily used parts of our body. The downside of the shoes, created ten thousand years ago, that we're wearing almost all day long is that the complex structure of our feet is generally inadequately or poorly used, generating long-term poor posture and pain not only in your feet, but also in your knees, hips, spine, and body muscles.

Conventional socks (without fingers) not only match the unergonomic shape of shoes,  but in order to prevent them from slipping, most of them tend to squeeze your feet and toes, which is not without consequences over long periods. Thus our toes are no longer able to move independently for one another. Their disused muscles and tendons atrophy, ultimately depriving them of many functional motor abilities. Foot compression also impedes blood flow which can cause cold feet syndrome. Unseparated toes promotes friction, sweating and the development of germs and fungi. Last but not the least, since the entire weight of our body rests on our feet, it increases the risk of injury from “incorrect loading”. When your toes are squeezed, it generally forces the big toe to bear a heavier load, creating deformity. In some cases, it causes some toes to remain off ground, no longer assisting the other toes to support the weight of the body which is transferred to other areas of the foot.

Get Your Feet Back On Track

This is the reason why walking barefoot improves our comfort and pain. Unfortunately, urbanisation with ground covering, pollution, scrap, etc., do not allow us to do it anywhere. The daily use of toe socks allow the regular movement of all toes, encouraging them to resume a proper posture thus replacing the centre of gravity and uniformly redistributing foot pressure. These positive effects should also benefit other conditions such as Hallux valgus and flat feet, ankle, knee, hip and back pain (also neck and shoulder), cold sensitivity, ankle sprains and balance issues.

So, this type of socks allows our toes to regain their sensorial and motor functions, strengthens our foot muscles, and ultimately improving blood circulation in lower limbs.

Except for sportswear models, you may have a hard time finding toe socks in conventional clothing stores. You'll have to resort to online shops, some even sell socks exclusively. Just type “toe socks” in your search engine. Like regular “tubes”, they come in all heights, thickness, fabrics, and colours. For women, you can even find “toe stocking protections” to wear with pumps or low-cut footwear. I found some made of breathable cotton fabric with a silicon stripe to maintain them on the Achilles tendon and no more friction of foot swelling after walking for hours. And I, for one, found my feet stayed dry and unsmelly even in extremely hot weather. Let's put it straight: I just cannot do without. However, I couldn't find any toe tights/stockings, but you can always wear footless tights or leggings.

Take good care of your feet for greater comfort and flexibility of movement.

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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The Green Beautiful

A world lush and blue
With rivers running wild
They'll be re-routed South
With none left for you or for me.
Don't give in.

"Explorers", Muse (2012)

I really fell for this lovely French comedy I've recently discovered on the web! I'll try not to spoil it for you with my introduction.

Having received significant critical backlash upon its release in 1996 (that is eleven years after the international success of Three Men And A Cradle) — for obviously being way ahead of its time — Coline Serreau's Green Beautiful should have remained lost forever. However, the magic of the internet and consciousness awakening truly revived it, turning it into an iconic movie subtitled in many languages with over 3,5 million views. Probably because it's the only French film of recent times talking about nature, environment and the importance of greenery in our daily lives.

I wanted to make a wild movie about utopianism that would question the roots of our system. After a long-standing theoretical research and filling notebooks with notes, scenes, thoughts and unsuccessful attempts, and after raising so many questions I couldn't even hear the answers anymore, I eventually began to write the script, guided by the serene movement of trees. Upon completion, it was met with mixed response. Producer Alain Sarde emphasised the concerns of the various funding partners involved in the project. “Do you really want to make this movie?” he asked. And I said yes excitedly. Upon release, the film was a big failure. Nobody liked it, nobody wanted to see it, reviewers ridiculed me. The industry didn't get this UFO. But movies never die. Over the years, against all odds The Green Beautiful took a life of its own and as a living creature started to grow and make its mark from people's need of it and through the loud message it conveyed to the world. Websites emerged on the internet, Green Beautiful clubs, groups of people gathering together to watch the film and discuss it. Was I ahead of my time ? Are we standing on the edge of such an abyss we need to drastically question all our values as this film does to be able to invent a new society?

Coline Serreau

The Green Beautiful is a distant Earth-like planet covered with blossoming vegetation whose inhabitants, who look similar to human beings, all live in peace and bliss. Gone are factories, work, competition, hierarchy, stress, and power struggles. They all have been replaced with harmony, tranquillity, and silence concerts in a simplified world free from the enslaving artificial values of our modern lifestyles. Mila (Coline Serreau) is the only volunteer to visit the Earth to check on the status of its people since the French Revolution. She (literally) lands from a bubble on the Paris ring-road, in a polluted, smelly city, littered with dog poo, where people in the street are blind to each other and interact only to abuse one another. The comic impulse of the movie mainly relies on Mila's ability to “disconnect” humans not to put them in a trance, but to unplug them from the Matrix that both sucks them up, feeds and poisons them all at the same time. By releasing them from the delusion, she allows them to express their true nature and genuine needs, which creates funny situations like turning a football match into a classical ballet or compelling politicians to tell the truth on a live talk show on TV. As illustrated by the trailer below.

At issue here is actually the whole structure of our post-modern society:

1. The concept of social hierarchy with its consequent superiority (chiefs), domination, and social competition.
2. The alleged value of technology as a measure of development: “We also had an industrial era, but then there was the pre-renaissance chaos when we turned down all industrial products against anything that could poison nature and human life”. Hence the return to nature as a logical development of evolution.
3. The social lie and absence of love as a true link: “So when you don't wear lipstick, people don't love you?”, “Why do you stay with a guy like me? For your bank account, what else, honey”, “Careful, when they are disconnected they speak the truth!”
4. Money: “If you ain't got any money, you get nothing”, “Are they still using money?” A world with fraternal relationships would be where gift, loan or exchange would be done directly as within a family where you lend things without money.
5. Television as a mental poison: “I'm sick of this TV that sucks your mind! From now on, in this household, we will talk to each other.” (Source)

Well, I think I'll leave it at that. If you want to see the movie, you may purchase the DVD or find it on the Internet (often subtitled in foreign langages) as I'm afraid the Vimeo link I had included prior to publishing this article has since been deleted.

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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The 6 Year Itch

This is stranger than I thought:
Six different ways inside my heart,
And everyone I'll keep tonight,
Six different ways go deep inside.

"Six Different Ways", The Cure (1985)

Yep, that's six already!

Six what?

That's 6 years the original blog in French has been online, totalling 1287 articles, nearly 1,350,000 pages viewed, and over 473,000 visitors from 147 different countries over several continents, on top of this English language version created subsequently — wow!

While all this is mostly due to my hard work and eagerness to share and contribute in a small way to raising awareness as my own awareness grows, I can never thank you enough for being so many and so loyal because without you, all this work would be pointless. For even though I expect nothing back, it means a lot.

So thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ♥♥♥

I'm also very honoured to find out, while researching something totally unrelated, that both versions of this blog had been regularly archived on Wayback Machine. For those who have never heard of it, Wayback Machine is a service from the Internet Archive, which is a San Francisco–based non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge." It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, movies/videos, moving images, and millions of public-domain books.

Still, nearly a million and half pages viewed...and only 3404 comments — something's not right!

If logging in is what puts you off, know that you don't have to even if the comment form invites you to. Likewise, the requested email address is not mandatory and only serves to send you a notification when you get a reply only when you check this option. if your desired user name happens to be unavailable, you may still use it adding some digits or any other characters. I also remind you that (although it is clearly stated) that all comments need my approval (to eliminate spammers and trolls), so it's normal if you don't see anything right after clicking Send.

Alternatively, if it's more convenient for you, you may also comment the tweets advertising my articles as some of you already do — that is if you have a Twitter account.

I'm sorry I don't intend to create any other social media accounts. It too much time and energy consuming. Twitter's format is by far the one that suits me best and has enabled me to significantly expand my readership. Note that, on top of that I'm also managing the Eklabugs project and its recent Twitter account so that's the best I can do.

Although many people had made a request for it on Eklablog forums, I'm afraid we'll never get a widget to “like” articles such as the one on social media since Webedia now owns the plateform. It's not as fun as comments yet way cooler than a hit counter. Never mind since this cannot be implemented on this blog.

Well, despite these issues, let me thank you in advance for your support and I hope you keep fuelling my inspiration to go on by making yourself more heard.

Bless you all,

© La Pensine Mutine. All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

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