Chrysanthemum

[Guest guest]

Keeping this off list as it appears tangential. The sword stood for

Male honor and martial spirit etc. The Chrysanthemum for culture, the

pen. It was also paired with death and, homosexuality (the flower

represents the male anus (japanese can be weird and intense)). The

beauty of the flower represents the height of culture but also

clinging to beauty as the flower is associated with November, the

descent.

 

Yukio Mishima, one of the greatest authors of the last century was a

Kendo master, Prolific writer, actor, nominated for Nobel prize three

times. Finished his tetrology on his 40th birthday (height of physical

powers) handed in the manuscript and took over the largest military

base in japan with his army of 100 gay fascist men using ancient

samuri swords (I don't know how he found 100 gay fascists prior to

Craig's list). He committed harikari when the army refused to

reinstate the emperor and throw all foreigners out of Japan. He wrote

a manuscript called The Sword and the Chrysanthemum, and Death In

Midsummer. The point is that one should die in full bloom prior to

turning one degree from fire toward metal. In short it' a special

brand of Japanese fanaticism seen in the samuri and kamakazi's that

has to do with renunciation, liberation, and the relationship between

fire and metal, culture and strength. Anyway, I think they are nuts

and I suspect this also has something do to with why minor bupleurum

is their favorite formula.-Regards, lon

[Guest guest]

Sorry about that last post. I meant to send it to Chris as an aside to

the discussion we are having. Pressed wrong button. Still, not totally

irrelevant.-Regards, lonny