Why we “don’t talk about Bruno”.
Nature of Oracle, part 2.
We don’t talk about Bruno-no-no-no
We don’t talk about Brunoooo
Let’s sing along!
Click here for an index to this series where every post will be.
Encanto is a movie I only watched because I saw this song and wanted more. This song is *chef’s kiss* perfection! Not only does it subvert expectations, straying from Disney’s usual tried-and-tested musical theatre style to embrace something very unique (a madrigal, aka a Renaissance period music style arranged in elaborate counterpoint)… But also, it speaks truth about oracles.
(Side note but honestly, We Don’t Talk About Bruno in Encanto and Into The Unknown in Frozen II are the best songs ever to make their way into Disney movies and you can’t convince me of the contrary. I’m totally biased, I’ll admit — I like musical complexity with folkloric elements. And I have a special place in my heart for acapella singing and yoiking. Ok, the fangirling is over, back to the post)
Today’s teaching is somewhat short, but I still think it deserves its own post because it’s super important and you shouldn’t overlook it. But before we dig in, let’s recap:
A note about pre-requisites: if you’re not familiar with the Delphic Maxims, I recommend some research into this topic, but below are some helpful points you should keep in mind while you read this series.
- In total (as far as we know), there are 150 Delphic maxims. They give us a fascinating glimpse into the moral precepts that were known (and allegedly followed) in Ancient times, but if interpreted metaphorically, they can still be helpful today.
- Out of these 150 maxims, only the first 3 are directly relevant to the activity of oracle (relevant both for the person giving, AND perhaps even more importantly, for the person who receives an oracle) — Γνῶθι σεαυτόν (know yourself), Μηδὲν ἄγαν (nothing in excess), and Ἐγγύα πάρα δ’ Ἄτα (avoid certainties). They render a lot of discussion, and there’s disagreement as to their translation, especially the third one, but I think it’s possible to have at least a vague idea of what they are referring to. Keep them in mind, even if you don’t fully understand them, because if you don’t — if you pay them NO mind — you will not make good use of oracular messages in your life (yes, generally, in your life. Not just the ones coming from me or my tradition. Every single kind of oracle).
- FYI, I am in favour of discussion of these maxims. I’ve been discussing them for a long time in a variety of places already. I’m by no means dictating to you what they mean or imply, you can take your own conclusions and discuss in the comments, blah blah, you know the drill.
“Your fate is sealed when your prophecy is read!”
This is a very remarkable line in the song. But pay attention here: it’s not fully true. It’s just remarkable. It speaks about a very common first impression people have of oracles, but like every first impression, there’s a nugget of truth in it.
In our intro to this series, we had a look at what a prophecy IS or ISN’T. Today, let’s look into what a prophecy DOES or DOESN’T DO.
Do prophecies define our fate?
The options are: (Yes, always) (No, never) (Yes, sometimes) (Not usually)
*Who Wants To Be A Millionaire vignette intensifies*
I’ll give you a few minutes to think about it before you take a guess at the question above.
.
.
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Ready?
Ok, so: if you voted for “yes, always”, your answer is correct! But so is the crowd who chose “no, never”. The wrong answers (or most unlikely to proceed) are the middle ground options. By the way, why can’t I poll on Medium? I wish you guys could vote and we’d have a neat little census here.
Anyway… as you can see, we’ve got a paradox.
There is no mysticism in this paradox, though. It actually comes from plain logic, a premise even Atheists would agree with: when we predict the future, we affect the future. In doing so, have we decided this future?
That’s where the “yes and no” comes in, because it will depend solely on opinion and worldview. If you’re a naturalist, and consequently adopt a worldview that goes from fatalism to radical optimism (and back again, ad infinitum…), you’ll be with the yes crowd. Oh, yes, you’ll say; Prophecies always define our fate — because you’re taking the back seat of your life, you’re very “yin”, you choose to adapt and respond instead of steering and calling the shots. On the other hand, if you’re a nurturer, and consequntly adopt a worldview that alternates between prevention and mitigation, you’ll be with the no crowd. Oh, no, you’ll say; Prophecies never define our fate — because you take the front seat of your life, you’re very “yang”, you choose to steer and call the shots instead of always adapting and responding.
Sorry to inform: there are no “naturally balanced” individuals. Everyone’s got lessons to learn. If we didn’t, we’d all be enlightened. Chances are you tend towards one extreme or the other, so let’s get out of denial and take a good look within. That’s why I linked you to the Yin/Yang post. None of the extremes is healthy, aye, we know that much. Both have biases and dangerous vices — for instance, that good old survivalist mindset of fixating on potential problems instead of enjoying the goodness of life (Hence “mitigation”, “prevention”. What do you mitigate or prevent? Certainly not joy and love, I bet. “Fatalism” is pretty ominous, and “optimism” isn’t ideal either because if you need to be optimistic, that can only mean you aren’t already grateful). You see, extremes are problematic but common. Don’t beat yourself up. Just practise awareness.
I’m with the no crowd, hi, yes I see the irony in it too. [Insert here joke about how oracles should always be diehard determinists]. It looks like I’m not even selling you my craft, doesn’t it? Like “hello there, I’m Lucy, the oracle. But I think oracles don’t define jack shit, so feel free to dismiss what I’m bringing you”. Ahhh… I used to make this same exact assumption. It’s fun to remember those days… The innocence! Lol
Why care about predicting anything, then?
Well… First of all, don’t make me go back to ranting about Colonialism. You guys have a prejudice against oracle, holy shit (I do too, it’s inherited from this normative society we live in. No hate your way, pal).
Second of all (and proving my point above), let’s use a very unimpressive and mundane example: the weather forecast. Pretty mainstream, aye? Nobody finds it weird, even the ultraconservative crowd. It’s in the news, in our apps, it’s searchable on Google and other search engines whenever you want it… Weather forecast is, at this stage, a normal tool. We take it for granted. We don’t discuss its validity in the world.
I wish I was talking to you in person because now would be the time to give you that look. You know exactly the one. It’s made complete with one arm on my waist and a “tsk tsk” sound.
Kidding, I’m in a good mood today. So, instead, I’ll unearth one of the 147 Delphic maxims I don’t usually discuss:
Ὅρα τὸ μέλλον (Foresee the future).
It’s usually found somewhere in the middle of the list, the point being, it’s nowhere near the first 3 which I already said are directly related to the activity of oracle. And yet… It speaks of foreseeing the future. How come “foreseeing the future” isn’t directly related to oracle? What could be MORE related to oracle? Playing guitar?!
Actually… yes. My ritual has music, and so do other traditions I’ve seen, but that’s just a tangent to be a bit of a smartass here.
Jokes aside — foreseeing the future doesn’t actually require any oracle at all. It doesn’t require scientific paraphernalia like the one we have for the weather forecast, either. Oracle and weather forecast are just specialised forms of a thing that can get a lot simpler because we’re always doing it without realising.
Like this: you open your eyes in the morning. Maybe it’s a lucky day, because you look at the clock and it’s 7:30, half an hour before the alarm will go off (a thing you know, because you set it up already); so you just disable the alarm, predicting that you won’t need it. Or maybe you don’t, you forget to disable it, and when it does go off you laugh and think “silly me”. Silly why? Well… Because certain things, no matter how mundane and simple, are important to predict. It’s a no-brainer. When you neglect foreseeing the future, your life can get a lot more annoying for no good reason. It’s wise to foresee the future. That’s why it’s a Delphic maxim.
(The above is by no means a complete discussion of this maxim. There’s more to it, but I’ll let you unravel — even because I have to let you unravel. I’m not the owner of all knowledge).
However… There’s another side to this coin. A neurotic, addictive side.
Right? Sometimes, we can get a bit obsessive, a bit controlling. We panic if something small is a bit off and we forgot to account for this or that when foreseeing the future. We make a mental note to “do better” next time, and keep feeding the neurosis…
Let me suggest a thing: don’t.
No, honestly, I don’t need to explain it further. Don’t let “the prophecies” control you. That’s bad for you. (I know that you know. But sometimes we need reminders. We all do, there’s no shame).
There’s a lot of ego in this perfectionist neuroticism, isn’t there? Like, as if trying to affirm to yourself, “I have my shit together at all times”. I’m the best. Ooga-booga back to you.
Let’s just accept that not everything can be helped. We can give it our best shot, but obsession will not lead to happiness. It never does. So, why bother with the obsession? Don’t. Just don’t. It’s a price too dear to pay for “just a little extra detail under control”, don’t you think?
But the above isn’t something we usually tell ourselves. The discourse tends to be more along the lines of “oh no, oh no, the world is ending, I need to keep burning myself out or else my fate (actually fear) will come true and I won’t be able to achieve what I need (actually just a wish)”.
Fears and wishes — the kryptonite of good oracle. Read my intro post and you’ll remind yourself of that.
Well, that’s enough food for thought today. I hope this was helpful. Feel free to send your comments and suggestions, and stay tuned for part 3.
