Magic

[Lady Annisa]

Originally Posted by subtle

I found myself scrambling up one of the Black Cuillins in Skye.

What a wonderufl place indeed. I was there just last weekend, the weather was brilliant and the views were awesome. Need to go back to do the Cuillins though as my buddy on this trip is more a walking/hiking buddy than a climbing buddy....

[subtle]

Originally Posted by Slutty Rimmer

If any of this is helping you Subtle then please let me know. Or better still, please explain what the Hell we are talking about. I for one haven't a clue !!

Well, having started this thread I am now feeling a bit like jon123 that

Originally Posted by jon123

If I were to reply with everything I want to say I would never stop.

I'm not so much looking for advice as thinking out loud a little, and thinking out loud here because people may understand.

A while ago I put myself in a vulnerable situation, and, as sometimes happens, got wounded. The wound took a while to heal, but now that it has, more or less, I feel a bit like that pebble: pitted, smooth, whole. And there's something precious about that sense of peace and wholeness, and of becoming more aware & accepting of my own & others' vulnerabilities.

It's not impossible that this sense of tenderness might lead to happier sessions, and towards me becoming a (slightly) better sub. In other ways, sessioning almost feels superfluous - because that space we often reach towards in a session - of stillness and openness - feels like it's already inside me, already at my fingertips.

And yet, again, what a magical thing it would be to share that space with someone else...

[ex nihilo]

Originally Posted by ex nihilo

Modern theory suggests that there are 3 parameters that will determine the future of the Universe. The Hubble constant which measures rate of expansion. Omega which measures the average density of matter and lambda, the energy associated with ‘empty’ space. As omega is the density of the Universe divided by critical density (roughly 10 hydrogen atoms per cubic metre) a ratio of less than 1 would lead to the conclusion that there is not enough matter in the Universe to reverse the expansion from big bang.

Much of the evidence this century comes from the recent WMAP (Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe) satellite. WMAP has revealed the ‘echo of creation’ and confirmed the age of the Universe, the precise temperature of microwave background radiation and comes up with a measurement of the Hubble constant in support of ‘an inflation forever’ scenario for likely values of omega and lambda.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was that the WMAP data has shown that 23% of the Universe is made up of dark matter and 73% dark energy. That leaves a mere 4% of matter and energy that we can see. It is not surprising that with space time arising from an explosion of space within itself and not an expansion of something into nothing that there might be a lot of glue around that we can’t see in the internal structure. I like to think about the baking of a sponge cake. The original moist and sticky ingredients lie at the bottom of the baking tin. As we bake all aspects of the cake move away from the centre in all directions. It is an expansion of itself and the resulting magnificent sponge looks more than the sum of its parts. However, we know that there is an equality of matter from beginning to end. We no longer see the original ingredients but only the finished cake. It is tempting to say that most of the sponge is ‘empty’ space…but we know that is not the case.

It might be as reported on 3 April, that the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) detector which was attached to the International Space Station in May 2011 on space shuttle Endeavour’s last flight is getting the first glimpses of dark matter in our universe. String and supersymmetry theory suggests the universe is uniformly distributed with dark matter. Because it is woven into the fabric of space-time it is difficult to see. The predicted particles are extremely small and stable but if they collide with each other they would annihilate each other and an electron and its anti-particle (a positron) would be produced. There are plenty of electrons from many sources in space, so the AMS is measuring the ratio of high energy positrons to electrons with increasing energy that would be consistent with the mass of dark matter particles and this appears to be confirmed by the data. As the energy increases further the ratio would fall as there would be more high energy electrons than positrons from other cosmic events. A smoking gun might have been found.

So have we been able to break dark matters silence? Or does what Lao Tzu say still hold true…“Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know”

[Mistress Adore]

How did thing turn out subtle ? did you take the step, or decide it was not to be ?

[geordiesouth]

A religious friend of mine once told me she believed..... That some believers believed in God because it was easier to believe than not too.

ie: God created everything etc..... So there !
That's how things started.

"Well where did God come from. Where did he/she start" I said.

The fact is. Wether you believe in God or the big bang.
Nobody knows what was before anything/everything.

[ex nihilo]

Originally Posted by geordiesouth

The fact is. Wether you believe in God or the big bang.
Nobody knows what was before anything/everything.

An interesting aspect of delving into the nature of the universe and the ultimate laws of reality is that one day we will most likely be able to write a small formula which will offer a complete understanding of everything. When this happens, there will still remain the question as to where that equation came from. We will continue to ask whether it was the only equation possible or whether the equation came about by exercise of choice. Was it designed to allow for the richness of possible universes that we are on the cusp of understanding through modern cosmological theory? Or is the universe like a finely tuned watch that required a watchmaker? Is there a difference?

[MrBromley]

I suspect that there will always be things we cannot explain. e.g. even if we knew all the physical laws of the universe there would be a huge debate about our 'purpose'.

Some people will find it very hard not to feel that there must be some kind of being/god that gives their lives purpose and will take care of them in the 'afterlife' if they follow this god's doctrines.

Others, look at the world all around us and see many things that they cannot explain, but realise that this does not automatically imply there must be a god. e.g. few of us can really explain in detail how a TV or computer actually works, but we know it is a technology constructed by humans and it is not the work of a divine being putting pictures on the screen. So, if we cannot explain how the universe started it doesn't mean that there has to be a god.

Personally, I think that our ability to perceive more than 4 dimensions will always restrict our understanding.

And I'm rather concerned that a lot of the religions seem to have gods that are referred to as if they are male (heavenly father and all that).

I would like us to be all looked after by a nice, fluffy, cuddly goddess.

[subtle]

Originally Posted by Mistress Adore

How did thing turn out subtle ? did you take the step, or decide it was not to be ?

Sorry - missed this update.

It sort of fizzled out really. Not sure why. She's a really stylish & intelligent lady but looking back I don't think I got a sense that she was asking very much of me. It's nice to be drawn out a little, to feel stretched, entangled, explored.

I took a bit of a break in the middle of last year, and then went back to see another very lovely Domme I'd seen a few times before.

She's done a lot to restore my faith & trust. She's kind & sexy & warm & sadistic. I feel pushed and at the same time looked after - and she's drawn me out & into several new kinds of play. It is a lot of fun but also as serious as it needs to be time to time.

Perhaps the first Domme I've got to know who I feel would really be there for me if I needed a hand. It's a good place to be.

[Mistress Adore]

This is very good to hear x

[ex nihilo]

Originally Posted by MrBromley

Personally, I think that our ability to perceive more than 4 dimensions will always restrict our understanding.

“A man said to the universe:
“Sir, I exist!”
“However,” replied the universe,
“The fact has not created in me
A sense of obligation”” …a Stephen Crane poem

There is nothing to say that reason and revelation are mutually exclusive.

String theory based on tiny vibrating strings where every vibrating string corresponds to a subatomic particle can combine gravity with quantum theory and is therefore a candidate for a theory of everything. It is only mathematically consistent when defined in 10 dimensions. It’s only convention that space is expressed geometrically with the three x, y and z axes…