Mysterium Fascinosum

Someone working in the theatre on campus sometimes brings their dog into the office, which can often be seen dozing in the sun while they work. The reflections from outside overlay the inside scene like a doggy dream world. The image is almost a reverse Tarkovsky -- a dog sleeping on a perilously small blanket island, amidst a sea of cobbles where strange, predatory humans walk. The dog's resemblance to Scooby Doo (maybe Shaggy got a steady job in the theatre?) somehow reinforces the effect ...



During the same lunch hour, I encountered what looks like some kind of religious construction (behold how the shadows coincide on the Special Spot at the appointed hour!). In fact, it's an attempt to regenerate the grass in front of the Students' Union. However, the strong wind was whipping the barrier tapes like Tibetan prayer flags on a mountain top, and the scene had that numinous feeling -- an Easter-time combination of strong wind, bright light, cold air and the promise of rain -- which I find hard to resist, a species of the mysterium fascinosum. Next week we'll be in mid-Wales, where we will walk in the presence of old gods (and sheep, lots of sheep), and probably get very wet in the process.