The Magickal Record of Louis Martinie': September 1998

Tuesday 1

Hurricane Earl may be coming for a visit. Bag is packed and out in the car. I stayed for the last brush with a hurricane and now I know just how frightened I can become. Great experience...no need to repeat it. The sounds of the rain and winds as they lashed the trees and roof are still bright for me. I used an audio-recorder to make an ongoing record of my reactions and feelings.

Wednesday 2

More talk of teaching service to the loa through the Internet. So few people can come to New Orleans for a long enough time to make a difference in their spiritual growth.

Thursday 3

RITUAL: New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual temple
WILL: Drum Prayer; Honor and Respect to all of the Invisibles
LOVE: In the Temple. Mombo Miriam and I playing and praying.
SUCCESS: My mind is clean
COMMENT: A person there said, "You ought to record this." I think that we should. It could be a part of the long distance instruction. A tablet of instructions could be very important. For one thing, it may outlast all of us if the ancestors so desire.

Friday 4

Wild, drug induced dreams. I would dream and then awake and close my eyes again in anticipation. Enjoyable night.

Saturday 5

Zydeco Fest way out in the swamp country . . . Bozo Chavits was playing. Some people were camped under a tree behind the entertainers. Their light shown up through the branches of the tree and played in the Spanish Moss. All of this was under a big moon covered with fog. Perfect.

Sunday 6

Pelican Publishing letter and pacquet is complete. I'm going to check it once more and then send the Congo Square Mss off.

Monday 7

RITUAL: New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple
WILL: To honor our Mothers of the Waters
LOVE: Mombo Miriam and I alone. Drums. I gave my voice to the spirits in the Waters. Let them speak through me.
SUCCESS: Lots of presences in Temple. Mostly behind Mombo Miriam.
COMMENT: Left Temple and made an offering to Marie Laveau at St Louis Cathedral as one of the Great Mothers. Then to Mississippi. Threw my offering into the Waters and my Buddhist prayer bracelet followed the offering. Interesting, this prayer bracelet has gone to the earth at least two other times in Bloomington. A lama blessed it and then dropped it. A person borrowed it to pray and then dropped it. When Mr. Norbu was giving me the gift I noticed that he had dropped his prayed bracelet. A testament to the sacredness of the earth. May the spirits benefit from the bracelet, as I have, for as long as they have the grace to use the bracelet.

Tuesday 8

Such rain is hitting the city. The streets toward Ponchetrain are flooded. I braved a few before the possible expense of a new car dampened my enthusiasm. May the loa of the Waters continue to benefit from the unplanned gift of the beads. Now that I consider it, they have asked many times and waited long for the beads. With all of this rain, the water is rising.

Wednesday 9

Saw an american indian movie that ended with the question, "What would happen if we were to forgive our Fathers?"

Thursday 10

THE PLAGUE by Camus, "An artist is someone who is not distracted." Very simple yet it catches much of what makes Mishlen an artist. I often describe her as a hermit.

Friday 11

Hurricane Francis . . . Spoke to Miriam about possible flooding of the Temple. We have a plan but plans have been known at times not to pan out. I am beginning to see how important it is that my Buddhist prayer beads went to the Mississippi.

Saturday 12

Flooding in the French Quarter. Very unusual. Worked on the Congo Square Mss. Our house is by the levee so we are high and dry. If we go . . . if the levy is topped or breaks, that it for New Orleans and the city has been here for a long time.

Sunday 13

I have a leather bound book of blank pages I carry everywhere with me. It contains a record of projects, past thoughts, doings and future actions. I call it my Mind. It is by far the most important book I own. It is like a chart I use daily to navigate. It helps me to only think of what is necessary for the moment I am in. All the rest is stored in lead on paper.

Monday 14

RITUAL: With Mombo Muslima at Tipitanias Warehouse. WILL: To honor the loa; in particular Marie Laveau
LOVE: Big computer event. Did the rite two times. Oshun, Ogun, and Simbi also honored.
SUCCESS: Some of the people came up wanting to learn more about New Orleans Voodoo. Marie Laveau and the loa were well served.
COMMENT: Ritual as performance is well within the tradition of New Orleans Voodoo. The spectators become a source of fire to feed the ritual. Muslima is good . . . to be able to call the loa in such a setting.

Tuesday 15

Last night worked on the ritual from 6 to 2 am. Very sleepy tonight.

Wednesday 16

Ah! A Virus . . . Once again, Mishlen had to remind me via telephone that I was sick. I tend to think that I have gone into a dark night of the soul and all my doings have lost meaning. Mishlen reminds me that the cause is more physical than mental or spiritual.

Thursday 17

RITUAL: New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple WILL: Honor and respect to the loa.
LOVE: Drum Prayer.
SUCCESS: Well done
COMMENT: Joey was drumming with me. Good, a new core to the drumming. The Temple's courtyard is strong and beautiful.

Friday 18

Mail from a promoter who wants to use some of Owen Knight's recording in a Renaissance Rave. Interesting. I can hear his voice and see the crowd.

Saturday 19

My Love returns from Bloomington to New Orleans.

Sunday 20

Marty is down for a CUUPS convo. Excellent conversation at Kaldi's. The loa and their social context. Went over slides for Congo Square Mss.

Monday 21

Pelican Press with the Congo Square Mss. Working on the presentation. Excerpts from book along with Sharman's art. The one page cover letter is the most difficult. A balance between enough and too little.

Tuesday 22

Post Pelican Press pacquet. Now to wait a month for their response.

Wednesday 23

RITUAL: Equinox; Ritual of Water and Earth
WILL: Honor the two great elements of the city.
LOVE: Libations to the Mississippi and to the swampy earth. A calling of their powers to honor them; each in its place.
SUCCESS: Well honored.
COMMENT: The Mississippi is so beautiful and powerful at night. It now has my Buddhist prayer beads.

Thursday 24

RITUAL: Voodoo Spiritual Temple WILL: Equinox
LOVE: Drum prayers
SUCCESS: Well done
COMMENT: Mombo Miriam spoke much of new currents flowing through the Temple. More emphasis on teaching.

Friday 25

Nose surgery. Back home from the surgery I slept in a half lotus. The position helped to relax me. Shaking from the general anesthetic. I had avoided this surgery for a good 10 years. The idea of having my nose blocked for a long healing period always dissuaded me. Now is the time. I want to know what it is like to be able to breath through both nostrils, to have a relatively straight nose. This is the cost . . . I am amazed I have the courage to pay. Watching the progress of Hurricane Georges on the Television.

Saturday 26

Ah . . . Hurricane Georges is headed to New Orleans! Had to go all the way to Culman, Alabama to find lodging. About a million people evacuated. Only half aware with the nose surgery, still, I could drive. No pain but it is hard with my nose so blocked. The Dr. didn't pack it, but still it is blocked by the swelling and all. Actually I had little concern about the possible pain, it is the blockage of air that frightened me. Good to confront a fear. This is like my going caving through the narrow tunnels the thought of which puts my nerves on edge or confronting the Powers that arise from lack of balance during ritual work. I remember little of the hotel room.

Sunday 27

In Culman, Alabama. . . Could take very little with me. Took Congo Square Mss, my "mind", and the book Mr. Norbu gave me. Mishlen packed my computer with all the writing contained, a tool with which I work. Aware and then halfsleep, sleep.

Monday 28

In Culman, Alabama . . . The Hurricane is so much like The Plague of Camus. A great force comes upon the city. Even to the point that those who stayed in New Orleans were housed in the Superdome and not allowed to leave. Like the stadium of The Plague.

Tuesday 29

Culman back to New Orleans. Thinking of the Buddhist root vows. Much like Crowley saying you fall from the AA if you refuse to share knowledge. The root vows are the essence of the practices.

Wednesday 30

Nose is healing. Beginning to breath more through it so more relaxed. I can now look forward to breathing through both nostrils. I will be able to do the breathing exercises. Prana in a fuller sense. I do not want to fall into ruts; even good habits grow stale. Getting my nose fixed is a reaching out to newness of experience. New doors open rather than the safe old doors. Still, the blocked septum and bent nose are an inheritance from the French ancestors on my Mother's side. I feel as if I have slighted them with this surgery.

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