Not counting food preparation, what physical objects did you make today? Alternatively; what was the last thing that you made?
I have to admit that I can’t actually recall making anything within the last month, beyond a couple of roll-ups, a shopping list, and wrapping a few presents, none of which really count as actually making something.
Yet, as a descendant of Handy Man, surely I should be creating all sorts of things with my hands every day? I have an innate urge to fiddle with things incessantly. Suppressing this urge requires a constant stream of high tech distraction devices, from brain numbing visual stimulation (tv) to pseudo creative actions using my fingers to make symbolic sound substitutes (typing).
According to Pete’s Liber Kaos, sorcery can be defined as the art of physical manipulation of the world to cause magickal effect. Sticking with this description, we can see that performing the basic craft skills of modelling, manipulating substance, interacting with the environment, casts the spell.
In a house, the parts one interacts with (light switches, kitchen & bathroom furnishings), assume greater importance in how one feels about the house than aspects one might expect to have greater importance. When we touch the world around us, especially if that touch transforms in some way, we feel engaged and involved with Life. Passively exploring informational realms does not have the same impact on our bodymind.
Kinaesthetic learners find acquiring information without this hands-on approach incredibly difficult. They (or rather, we!), like to repeat a demonstrated set of actions, in order to ‘get’ what to do.
If, an individual failed to ever engage with the real world in this way, manipulating and altering it in accordance with their wishes, changing the fabric of their universe, would that affect their physiology, their psychology, their emotional response to the external world?
If, a society failed to engage with the world by manufacturing its own tools and objects of use, its arts & crafts, would that alter its collective perception of its own power?
I’m off to raid my ancient and long untouched box of arty supplies, consisting of purchased and found objects from years gone by, and make me a Thing…
NW
objet trouvé
The Blog of Baphomet 
Interesting thoughts. The physical construction of ‘making things’ has always been crucial to me personally, and I find increasingly these days that I am making insubstantial things from pixels on a screen. I think the absorption in a project, the sense of achievement, lacks something if the end result has no physical, material, tactile aspect.
See my blog to view real-life objects reduced to insubstantial pixel-constructed impressions of themselves.
http://hekatejean.wordpress.com/e-archive/e-archive-by-psychonym/bella-basura/gallery/
Wow Bella, you have got some real objets trouvées there! Impressive finds, impressively presented.
NW
I am trying to officially change our family motto to “I’m not buying that, I can make it” (anyone fluent in Latin that could translate that would have my eternal gratitude!) I am a handspinner and make yarn, usually from the shearing up, and occasionally I am present for the actual shearing. Making is gnosis, and a very effective one at that. I could go on forever about the magickal history of spinning wheels and associated tools. When you do with your hands and create, you question creation around you..everything came from somewhere. It’s a good mental trip. Oh..and to answer the question today I worked on making a sock, combed some alpaca, and am making a baphomet necklace. Good times.
Ego non emptari, ego fabricissimus! (the grammar here is atrocious get a real scholar to check it out 😉 )
Nice list of makes from a day, Schelli! I’m really ashamed of my poor record, once upon a time I did do making lots but… could do better.
NW
Not really making but fixing. Working a way to make my trailer secure with a sneaky padlock in the towbar; fixing leaks in my chilli watering system in the greenhouse so I can go away for a few days. Fitting a new leisure battery into my camp computer/printer power supply for astrology charts.
Fixing counts as making. Definitely. Tho, putting a battery in, I might quibble about 😉
NW
Oooh thank you! As far as the nice list..quitting smoking will cause you to make just about anything out of anything 🙂 I am really enjoying this blog, and even more looking forward to the book!
Bella- I love your site, very engaging. Yes, there are treasures all around us…..