Cartography of the Mind (Part 10 of 17)

The following are excerpts of an illuminated book sent from Liza to the group. As usual, we publish typed excerpts of these along with the original photo. The best way is to read the text, of course, is to to experience it in its illuminated form.

While I think a female Benefactor both enhances the narrative and aligns with the pre-existing symbolism (cave = womb) of the creatrix, Mother Earth; rebirth; fertility, etc. I'm interested in the possibility of the Benefactor embodying a collective of women, "the flickering fairy circle...the wreath of airy dancers hand in hand" (Art quoting Tennyson). If the Benefactor is, in fact, traipsin' around the tunnels with a merry gang of pagans (and representative of the hold/resurgence of myth and paganism), it makes perfect sense that this merry group, though weakened and separate when solitary, form a powerful and unified whole when together. (Think in terms of the uniform pagan belief that all of the goddesses = one great goddess. Also, the "centers" of many pagan communities = earth-community-centered.) And what exactly is this ethereal collective whole they form? The horror rap scrawlin', Arthur White huntin', Lodestone hoardin' continuity, timelessness, femininity, etc. etc. etc. etc.......