File spoon-archives/deleuze-guattari.archive/deleuze-guattari_1998/deleuze-guattari.9810, message 201


From: "Charles Gavette" <chaosmosis-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Livonian Werewolf/Flaneurism 101: Mathilda's Hammer
Date: Tue, 20 Oct 1998 19:41:58 PDT


Of the records from the Inquisition, we can surnmise that fertiltiy cult 
themes flourished. When the harvest was not so good, or when malediction 
was suspect, various incantations, charms and amulets were put to use. 
Yet, one of these stories is unique. It is from Livonian lycanthropy and 
tells of a man who confessed to going out at night with a group of his 
friends to reclaim what grain had been stolen. (Carlo Ginzburg, 
"Ecstacies: Deciphering the Witch's Sabbath").... I can almost see the 
look on Carlo's face when he first wrote(after some explanation), 
..."could it be...that it was....real?"..........
Yes, Virginia, there really are frightening territories fur beyond what 
human perception can explain. The dilligent student will also find an 
interesting rhizome among these passages in Ecstacies: His reference to 
Wittgensteinian metaphorical method resonate with opposing tension to 
John Clet-Martin's (more seductive) argument as to how the concept is 
formed(his essay in South Atlantic Quarterly)..........Weasel, a 
proto-flaneur, joined some friends one afternoon and during the usual 
show-and-tell period, spoke of a mad experiment designed to ressurect 
the Age of the Codpiece. He explained to them that the use of ambiguity 
could be productive, even in the search for time regained, or a female 
who had her head screwed on at least somewhat attractively. The techne 
involved consisted in: 1)Tuning into the expressions of ambiguity from 
what was already known about enough women to be useful in the quest for 
fire(or water)....2)The use of neither over-, nor under-negating in the 
construction of the codpiece...3)Taking the machine to the streets for 
further experimentation......From 1), Weasel said that women will look 
at your shoes(yu); not all women, nor all of the time. The trick is to 
walk the boulevard with some brimmed hat on(a baseball cap will do) 
while looking down at the sidewalk. This is the avoidance/security/leave 
me-the-fuck-alone posture. When some are sure that you are not looking, 
they will look. If your kicks groove, many times they will continue 
upward(because, after all, it's the north-south axis that is most 
important)....From 2 & 3) the codpiece must be such that it is tuned to 
your particulars. For instance, Weasel said that when the codpiece is 
properly tuned the expression is evident as "How can that little, poorly 
postured, old, dried up, pumpkin-faced man be that,...well,...endowed?!? 
This can only happen if you have taken the time to ensure that the 
cod-piece neither over-, nor under-negates a possible universe. Be 
careful! This is when you are very likely to go awry. Sense the timing, 
grass-hopper. Feel the eudaimonia control your perception and actions, 
that feeling that comes under the sway of daemonic rhythym, that 
dissolves the vitreous resistance of laws(your usual dog-matic-ness)in 
the undulating ether of the cosmic pulse. You'll know when to look at 
her face. Do it now, quickly!! Yes, that one had a frown on her face as 
she scrutinized. Drop her from your rolls. You need her not at your 
hearth. She will give you the soothsayer's grief that has caused more 
than one shaken head.......Here comes another one....Timing, 
timing....Now!!! You scored big-time!, for you caught her both glancing 
at your tunedness and directly in your eyes as she smiled. It was the 
kind, you know what I mean. Weasel finished his show-and-tell-session 
with "I beseech y'all to further experimentaion and happy 
improvisations." 

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