Great post. I always felt like we should make more of Holy Saturday. The idea of all the souls of the patriarchs and prophets and the righteous pagans awaiting the Resurrection so that they can go to Heaven is moving to me. Apparently it’s a last-in first-out queue, because there’s at least one painting where John the Baptist, with a red line across his neck where his head was cut off, is shown as the first person coming out and Jesus is embracing him. I once spent some time thinking about this, running a movie in my head of the scene. And as the stream of people coming out of the realm of the dead came by, and Jesus was embracing each of them, I imagined King David, a tall man in black armor, embracing his heir.
Ostara is a great name, and I need to find a use for it in some fictional location.
thank you, Contarini! Holy Saturday does tend to go unacknowledged… it’s such a peculiar part of the story… I’m going to go look for the painting/s you mentioned!
and agreed, Ostara is a lovely name for a fictional character :)
Loved this post for so many reasons, was just pondering these gods who visit the underworld in between church visits, but also.. JZ!!! Haven’t heard that name in yonks!
Blipped out lost weekend! Never knew that he was preaching in hell. I figured he went back to the mothership for a well-deserved break. Instead, he was giving a sermon titled Been There, Done That… Divine Denouement about to Dazzle! Or handing out get out of hell free cards 💳?
Such great writing and wrangling, Samara. Starting off with the NM menu 🐑❤️🔥
Etymological fancy indeed. Love the red egg 🪺 magic. The perfect précis to precede my special breakfast of eggs from right here on the island, à la Benedict with Hollandaise butter and milk. Thanks, Samara, for the share. 🥚🐇🪻❤️🔥
Im restacking your piece and citing its pinging synchronicity in the piece im now writing, fueled by the eggs 🥚. Turns out you’re pivotal to the Field Notes and energy. Feeling the quantum entanglement!
Good clean fun and methodologically responsible comparative religion. Also, for the record, I think about the Harrowing of Hell every day.
thank you, Naucratic, means a lot coming from you. My heart skipped a beat at “methodologically responsible comparison religion” - appreciate that.
and yeah the Harrowing of Hell is wild and I feel like I am only beginning to start thinking about it…
I found this piece fun, although I remain a Christian perennialist who believes that all converges upon the Gospel:
https://beulahrising.substack.com/p/christian-perennialism
Also, the Harrowing of Hell is a totally normal concept to me, central to my understanding of reality.
heard! thank you for this perspective
Great post. I always felt like we should make more of Holy Saturday. The idea of all the souls of the patriarchs and prophets and the righteous pagans awaiting the Resurrection so that they can go to Heaven is moving to me. Apparently it’s a last-in first-out queue, because there’s at least one painting where John the Baptist, with a red line across his neck where his head was cut off, is shown as the first person coming out and Jesus is embracing him. I once spent some time thinking about this, running a movie in my head of the scene. And as the stream of people coming out of the realm of the dead came by, and Jesus was embracing each of them, I imagined King David, a tall man in black armor, embracing his heir.
Ostara is a great name, and I need to find a use for it in some fictional location.
thank you, Contarini! Holy Saturday does tend to go unacknowledged… it’s such a peculiar part of the story… I’m going to go look for the painting/s you mentioned!
and agreed, Ostara is a lovely name for a fictional character :)
Loved this post for so many reasons, was just pondering these gods who visit the underworld in between church visits, but also.. JZ!!! Haven’t heard that name in yonks!
haha I know, I had forgotten all about JZ too but when I was researching this I was like oh YOU again!
would love to read your pondering of the underworld traversers too
Blipped out lost weekend! Never knew that he was preaching in hell. I figured he went back to the mothership for a well-deserved break. Instead, he was giving a sermon titled Been There, Done That… Divine Denouement about to Dazzle! Or handing out get out of hell free cards 💳?
Such great writing and wrangling, Samara. Starting off with the NM menu 🐑❤️🔥
thank you thank you, Susan! “been there, done that” is a terrific sermon name for the occasion.
thanks for loving my NM diner cameo too :)
Etymological fancy indeed. Love the red egg 🪺 magic. The perfect précis to precede my special breakfast of eggs from right here on the island, à la Benedict with Hollandaise butter and milk. Thanks, Samara, for the share. 🥚🐇🪻❤️🔥
the perfect island feast! yes I’ve always quite liked that magic red egg story too….
Im restacking your piece and citing its pinging synchronicity in the piece im now writing, fueled by the eggs 🥚. Turns out you’re pivotal to the Field Notes and energy. Feeling the quantum entanglement!
fantastic! can’t wait to read your egg-ponderings