Mantic/ROmantic

"mantic (adj.)
"relating to or pertaining to prophecy or divination," 1836, from Greek mantikos "prophetic, oracular, of or for a soothsayer," from mantis "one who divines, a seer, prophet; one touched by divine madness," from mainesthai "be inspired," which is related to menos "passion, spirit," from PIE *mnyo-, suffixed form of root *men- (1) "to think," with derivatives referring to qualities and states of mind or thought. Related: Mantical (1580s).

romantic (adj.)
1650s, "of the nature of a literary romance," from French romantique, from Middle French romant "a romance," oblique case of Old French romanz "verse narrative" (see romance (n.)).


As a literary style, opposed to classical since before 1812; in music, from 1885. Meaning "characteristic of an ideal love affair" (such as usually formed the subject of literary romances) is from 1660s. Meaning "having a love affair as a theme" is from 1960. Related: Romantical (1670s); romantically. Compare romanticism.

romance (n.)
c. 1300, "a story, written or recited, of the adventures of a knight, hero, etc.," often one designed principally for entertainment," from Old French romanz "verse narrative" (Modern French roman), originally an adverb, "in the vernacular language," from Vulgar Latin *romanice scribere "to write in a Romance language" (one developed from Latin instead of Frankish), from Latin Romanicus "of or in the Roman style," from Romanus "Roman" (see Roman).


The sense evolution is because medieval vernacular tales usually told chivalric adventures full of marvelous incidents and heroic deeds. In reference to literary works, often in Middle English meaning ones written in French but also applied to native compositions. Literary sense extended by 1660s to "a love story." Meaning "adventurous quality" first recorded 1801; that of "love affair" is from 1916. Romance novel attested from 1964."

(all of the above from the Online Etymological Dictionary, where I spend a lot of my time these days)

Funny that "mantic" and "romantic" of course have no etymological connection. 

Anyway, I've been having conversations with Amrit Brar's Marigold Tarot a lot lately, and I find the cards to be perfect for the darker shadows of my psyche. 

It's been interesting becoming more familiar with a new deck after years and years of the Rider-Waite. I have had a few other decks in the past- The William Blake Tarot for example, which is super cool, and the Thoth Tarot, which is creepy. But I am really resonating with Brar's images and mood. 

I'm also back to more in depth meditations on the I Ching's unpleasant messages. It's funny how the I Ching is a bit of a scold, a disciplinarian, a critic. Last night, for example, I thought the hexagram "Inner Truth" was great, until the yang lines all dissolved except for the top one, leaving "Disintegration/Collapse/The End of the Relationship." 

These extremes of wisdom and folly, equanimity and agony, have been characteristic of the past two years in many ways. 

I did finally finish the draft of the species distribution modeling chapter and email it to my chair and the committee member who specializes in same. I am very glad to be done, but I expect they will both take a hatchet to it. It is extremely challenging to do ecological work within the short time frame of a PhD. I have renewed respect for ecologists who use sophisticated statistical methods, but I also have an increased skepticism regarding the robustness of the analyses and the reliability of the findings. 

I am ready to launch right into the last two chapters- the molecular phylogeny and the estimated divergence time/ancestral state reconstruction/biogeography chapters. I expect these will be shorter and more publishable. 

Interesting to note that it was exactly two years ago that the "month of total silent treatment" started with A. I still feel a knot in my stomach when I recall that time. By March 1, I would have all my stuff in storage and that was that. Catastrophe that still feels traumatic now. I'm hoping I have a chance to work through it and let go. The hexagram "Disintegration" above is exactly what it felt like. Wilhelm translates the Chinese as "Splitting Apart." 

From James DeKorne's Gnostic I Ching: 
Whenever we go deep enough toward the core of a sub- personality, we find that the core -- which is some basic urge, or need -- is good. For practical purposes, this can be considered an absolute. No matter how many layers of distortion may surround it, the basic need, the basic motivation, is a good one -- and if it becomes twisted, it was because of not being able to express itself directly. The real core -- not what the sub- personality wants, but what it needs -- is good. A basic purpose of the coordination phase is to discover this central urge or need, to make it conscious, and to find acceptable ways in which it can be satisfied and fulfilled. And, provided we have sufficient understanding and skill, it can be satisfied -- if not fully, at least enough to maintain the process of growth. 

James Vargiu -- Subpersonalities