Thursday, January 7, 2010

Pictures Taken in Doorways

The Romans had a thing about doorways.

Seems if you tripped in a doorway, it was terribly bad luck. This very notion is one of many theories about why brides are carried over a threshold. Can't have the little woman ruining your marriage before it starts, now can you? No one said the Romans weren't a little sexist... (My second favourite theory was read to me from Plutarch by Millie Pontipee during the winter I was kidnapped with 5 other girls and trapped in the mountains, not unlike the Sabine women about whom Millie was reading....) Double girl-points if you caught that reference.

Janus was the god of doorways. Naturally, January was a good month to name after him. He looked in both directions, forward and back, much like we all do this time of year. It's a threshold, a bridge, a period of transition. He was the god of gateways, standing guardian to the gates of War, seldom closed during Roman days and seldom closed in our own, it seems. Once again, I will try to focus on positives for the last year and embrace even the smallest victories headed into the new.

Like coaxing visiting Nephew Cat out of the basement. Sort of.
Like a good hair day.
Like getting to make magnetic poetry at work today. Seriously, it was so much fun...

So, I'm making like Janus: keeping an eye on the past to inform my step but focussing on the future and moving ahead.

A doorway is no place to stand still.



I call this one "Blue Steel".

2 comments:

  1. Ok, so, I'm reading this lovely post about thresholds and doorways and I'm all about to write a thoughtful (*cough*) comment when, BLUE STEEL shows up and steals your thunder.

    Seriously, I'm laughing so hard. Maybe we should all do BLUE STEEL photos? I don't know, I just love this so much.

    And thresholds are also sacred spaces. :D

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  2. Ok, I couldn't even finish reading this post once you commented about 7 Brides for & Brothers! It's totally one of my favorites! Ok, now I'll go back to browsing your blog! ;)
    Rebecca of the R&W Gals

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Who doesn't love comments? I appreciate every single one and try to reply to each. Unless you're a no-reply commenter. Then I can't. And I have a little sad moment. Like a dropped ice cream cone. So if you're a no-reply commenter and have a question, check the comment thread and I'll try to reply there. :-)