Reflectiong Possibly figured out

[Bill_Hix]

Alex Grey Talks about the reflection on the nature of your mind in these segements (There are 4 videos where he talks)

You need QuickTime

www.alexgrey.com on the right side hit multimedia, then hit Quicktime Movies, then watch nature of mind.

heres' a funny: So i'm tripping on DXM reeeaaall bad right now, bad meaning good, and I type in artbell.com, not realizing it for five minutes.

[Fractal]

Reflections are very interesting! Adding to the above post: as I said in my eating of the song Jimmy, 11 is 1 and the reflection of itself (another 1). 1 has come round the circle, all the way through and back to itself. But now it sees the equation and uses factoring by grouping (to find the GCF) to solve it when it becomes too much. Isolate the problem.
12x(2)-20x-21x+35
=(12x(2)-20x)+(-21x+35)
=4x(3x-5)-7(3x-5)
=(4x-7)(3x-5)
however, you are not the factored form(bottom line), you are still you(top line), a big equation. BUT now you know the answer. 1 and 1 can still pull at eachother. Pushing back and forth, one feeling it is the only way. So the evolved one, who has done the work will understand that when you start to pull there are specific ways that other things will push back. Just look at your equation.
Hey, isn't pushit number 11 on aenima?
How's that for some over analysis!

[bluefire]

Reflections are very interesting! Adding to the above post: as I said in my eating of the song Jimmy, 11 is 1 and the reflection of itself (another 1). 1 has come round the circle, all the way through and back to itself. But now it sees the equation and uses factoring by grouping (to find the GCF) to solve it when it becomes too much. Isolate the problem.
12x(2)-20x-21x+35
=(12x(2)-20x)+(-21x+35)
=4x(3x-5)-7(3x-5)
=(4x-7)(3x-5)
however, you are not the factored form(bottom line), you are still you(top line), a big equation. BUT now you know the answer. 1 and 1 can still pull at eachother. Pushing back and forth, one feeling it is the only way. So the evolved one, who has done the work will understand that when you start to pull there are specific ways that other things will push back. Just look at your equation.
Hey, isn't pushit number 11 on aenima?
How's that for some over analysis!

...?

i have no idea what you just tried to say

[LP|Stang]

lol . . .

[paraflux]

Reflections are very interesting! Adding to the above post: as I said in my eating of the song Jimmy, 11 is 1 and the reflection of itself (another 1). 1 has come round the circle, all the way through and back to itself. But now it sees the equation and uses factoring by grouping (to find the GCF) to solve it when it becomes too much. Isolate the problem.
12x(2)-20x-21x+35
=(12x(2)-20x)+(-21x+35)
=4x(3x-5)-7(3x-5)
=(4x-7)(3x-5)
however, you are not the factored form(bottom line), you are still you(top line), a big equation. BUT now you know the answer. 1 and 1 can still pull at eachother. Pushing back and forth, one feeling it is the only way. So the evolved one, who has done the work will understand that when you start to pull there are specific ways that other things will push back. Just look at your equation.

I'm not a math person, but if that shit proves that 1 and 1 pull at each other, thats pretty interesting.

[im_not_maynerd]

reflection is about seeing yourself in everyone else.

[Navid]

I confess I don't follow how the simple mathematical juggling you're carrying out solves anything. Would you mind clarifying?

[dragonflygirl]

reflection is about seeing yourself in everyone else.
Seems to me Reflection is about a relationship with the Goddess. But that's my interpretation, and I don't expect it to be anyone elses.

[smileyglædhands]

reflection is about seeing yourself in everyone else.

I thought it was more about the collective unconcious - them being Jung fans n' all.

[dragonflygirl]

I thought it was more about the collective unconcious - them being Jung fans n' all.


True, but as a practicing generational Pagan, the whole Lateralus album is full of pagan references. I'm very much a devout Goddess worshipper, and lots of the aforementioned references wouldn't click to anyone that's not . :)
I mention this album to anyone that wants pagancentric music.

"And in my darkest moment, fetal and weeping.
The moon tells me a secret. My confidant.
As full and bright as I am, this light is not my own
A million light reflections pass over me
It's source is bright and endless.
She resuscitates the hopeless
Without her we are lifeless satellites dreaming dreams."

It's my interpretation that the "She" referred to here is The Goddess. I base this interpretation on the preceding songs. The Mother has the moon as Her symbol. I have this symbol tattooed upon my flesh, for all to see.
Like I said, hehe, devout Pagan.

[bluefire]

Yeah maybe...but i don't think that any members of Tool are practicing pagans. Or practicing anything for that matter.

[paraflux]

You dont think... or you dont know? Because I sure havent seen any of the members come out and say anything concrete about their way of life.

[ufopancakes]

I think Reflection can basically be best described by an interview Maynard did that I found on this site. He describes humans as an information reflector. However, this still leaves it open for interpretation. My interpretation is that he may have overcomed some serious depression or found a new meaning to life with this concept. One of my favorite songs, ever.

[ufopancakes]

What I find to be the most amazing thing about tool... is how well the band helps define the emotion the words hold. Reflection is a great example.

[lilypie]

Seems to me Reflection is about a relationship with the Goddess. But that's my interpretation, and I don't expect it to be anyone elses.


Actually, I have been thinking this same thing for a while now. It makes sense seeing as how the Goddess is represented by the moon.

[ufopancakes]

Actually, I have been thinking this same thing for a while now. It makes sense seeing as how the Goddess is represented by the moon.

"as full and bright as I am"

think about this in the context that I posted... I believe he is comparing the moon (as a reflector) to himself.

[dragonflygirl]

"as full and bright as I am"

think about this in the context that I posted... I believe he is comparing the moon (as a reflector) to himself.
That's one way to interpret it. :)
Point:
We pagans also tend to think of ourselves as being part of the Mother Goddess.
The Goddess manifesting Herself in us all, is a big point for most of us.
Also, with Aenima there's references to the Mother, and Lateralus is heavily laden with pagan references. Some of the references are kind of esoteric, and you'd have to be familiar with them to recognise the things referred to.
This could be coincidence. But certain phrases, such as
"As below so above" is definately pagan. That phrase is generally used in drawing the circle for ritual magick.
And riding the spiral, well, I've done that. Peyote and mushrooms both are excellent for that. Reaching an altered state of conciousness and from there communing with the Goddess. Pretty much how shamans have been doing it since ancient times.

[ufopancakes]

I think when Maynard says "mother" in Aenima, he is referring to mother nature. Go to the Lateralus threads, there is an extensive conversation going on about the line "as below, so above."

[Liquid Ashes]

I always thought she was refering to the sun. If there was no sun there were be no gravity and our planets, would be dead, cold, and drifting hehe.

[Kelly]

FAMILIAR LIGHT REFLECTIONS








pass over me

[iknowmaynard]

this song is some crazy wiccan shit

it's not that hard to figure that out

[dragonflygirl]

this song is some crazy wiccan shit

it's not that hard to figure that out
Well, I was pretty damn sure it wasn't any of that insane Christan shit. Being pagan and all...

[5th Eye]

It's my interpretation that the "She" referred to here is The Goddess. I base this interpretation on the preceding songs. The Mother has the moon as Her symbol. I have this symbol tattooed upon my flesh, for all to see.
Like I said, hehe, devout Pagan."She" refers to the sun, in the least-interpreted way. Like this: the moon's light is not its own. It reflects the sun's light. The narrator of the song, being told this by the moon, is taught an important lesson: Though you may not be able to produce any "light" of your own (which is why the narrator is all depressed and such at the beginning of the song), you can "reflect" the light of others—that is, spread the good actions of others. By doing this you can get a better feeling of self-satisfaction and perhaps discover yourself. It's a metaphor for doing good in the world. So then, after realizing this, the narrator understands and begins to gain self-confidence: "I am without one doubt/Don't want to be down here soothing my narcissism..."

Well, that's how I see it anyway.

[fattire357]

thou i guess this is a sidetrack from where this thread started out,

i read a bunch of you guys talking about the paganistic references in this song, and i feel like its so much more than that. i'm not at all pagan, but i still feel i could relate to it in the sense of the strange thoughts that come through depression/other stuff i don't understand that well. my point is this song tries to get at the core of a type of despair, and isnt really pagan.

[dragonflygirl]

thou i guess this is a sidetrack from where this thread started out,

i read a bunch of you guys talking about the paganistic references in this song, and i feel like its so much more than that. i'm not at all pagan, but i still feel i could relate to it in the sense of the strange thoughts that come through depression/other stuff i don't understand that well. my point is this song tries to get at the core of a type of despair, and isnt really pagan.
It's interesting the different interpretations people have. I, myself, never found that song to be about despair. I found it to be a very hopeful song. Kind of a lifting out of despair, really. I tend to interpret the whole album, other than "Ticks and Leeches" that way. Perception is reality though.

[JLS]

"She" refers to the sun, in the least-interpreted way. Like this: the moon's light is not its own. It reflects the sun's light.

I agree. Although what the indirect light of the sun represents is definately unclear. It's true that he learns from the moon that indirect light is not necessarily useless, but the core idea that the light symbolizes is beyond me.

The narrator of the song, being told this by the moon, is taught an important lesson: Though you may not be able to produce any "light" of your own (which is why the narrator is all depressed and such at the beginning of the song), you can "reflect" the light of others—that is, spread the good actions of others. By doing this you can get a better feeling of self-satisfaction and perhaps discover yourself. It's a metaphor for doing good in the world. So then, after realizing this, the narrator understands and begins to gain self-confidence: "I am without one doubt/Don't want to be down here soothing my narcissism..."

Well, that's how I see it anyway.

Clearly this song is about a change of perspective bringing about emotional salvation. He has an epiphany that lifts him out of a hopeless state. The problem is that he gives little insight(that I can see) into what this light/realization is. What I find most interesting here is how people seem to be identifying the light personally. The ambiguity of the lights origin in the song is allowing everyone to superimpose their own personal ideas of salvation onto it. Perhaps that was MJK's real intention here.

My own initial interpretation was that of a change of philosophy from nihilism to Buddhism or something similar. The unity of consciousness/lack of self is a core value in Buddhism. I don't really know anything about the belief systems of the band's members, though.