Tree in the Door's Fauna and Flora: Smoke: June 24, 2026

Open to Interpretation

#Smoke

Game on...on the radio...Dodgers at Twins...Ohtani pitching...Smoke and Mirrors...Dodgers 4-Twins 3...there is a magic trick that uses smoke to image things reflected into the smoke...

✨️smoke and mirror magic trick in

• The Smoke: Often created using a smoke machine or dry ice. It obscures the audience's view and provides a screen onto which images or light can be projected. [1, 2]The Mirrors: Used to reflect hidden projectors or hide objects in plain sight. This principle is the basis for classic illusions like "Pepper's Ghost," where a hidden, well-lit object is reflected onto a pane of glass so it appears as a floating apparition on stage. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]The Metaphor: In the broader world of illusion and mentalism, the term means using showmanship and distraction to hide the mechanics of the trick from the audience. [1, 2]

🎶"distraction"...bottom of third...aaand, there was a pre-columbian Inca king named Smoking Mirror...Ohtani up...ArchaeologicalEd has a take...2-2...K...top of fourth...Tezcatlipoca...but wait...Tezcatlipoca is Aztec...

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https://youtu.be/2wz4ZBkZegA?is=WJxjBIHmYyZBEuoO

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Strategic Guidance: According to chronicles, the Sapa Inca (emperor) consulted the mirror to gain foresight. It supposedly guided his conquests, revealing new territories to bring into the empire and advising him on the best governance and infrastructure policies. [1]
Beyond Conquest: Instead of merely plundering, Pachacuti used the mirror's insights to foster a unified empire. This included building a vast network of roads, establishing surplus farm terraces, and creating community storehouses to ensure the welfare of conquered peoples. [1]
Material & Cultural Context: In the ancient Andes, mirrors were typically made of highly polished obsidian, pyrite (fool's gold), or meticulously crafted mosaic inlay. They were considered sacred objects of divination used by priests and nobility to commune with deities and ancestors. [1, 2, 3]

For a deep dive into the legend of Pachacuti's magic mirror and how it is believed to have shaped the Inca Empire:

World Creation: He and his rival brother, Quetzalcoatl, created the world of the Fifth Sun by tearing apart the earth goddess Tlalteotl. During the battle, the sea creature bit off Tezcatlipoca's foot, which is why he is often depicted with a missing foot replaced by a smoking mirror or a snake. [1, 2]Destruction and Rule: As a central creator, Tezcatlipoca ruled over the first world (Sun of the Earth), which was eventually destroyed by jaguars. He constantly challenged his brother Quetzalcoatl for cosmic control, and in later myths, they took turns as rulers of the world. [1, 2, 3]Patron of Society: Despite his destructive nature, he was a complex figure who patronized commoners, warriors, and the calendar. He was also the fierce protector of slaves; he severely punished masters who mistreated them and rewarded virtue with riches and fame. [1, 2, 3, 4]Sorcery and Temptation: Known as a god of mysteries, he personified the harsh forces of nature and was believed to tempt humans into sin. To honor his omnipotence, the Aztecs dedicated an annual festival to him (Toxcatl) where a captive was treated like the living embodiment of the god for a year before being sacrificed. [1, 2, 3, 4]

robert graves mythology
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In Robert Graves' mythological framework—outlined in his famous works like The Greek Myths and The White Goddess—a "King for a Year" (or sacred king) is a man who serves as the earthly consort to the supreme Moon Goddess. He is granted the crown and treated as a living god, only to be ritually sacrificed at the end of his reign. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Graves' concept of this cyclical kingship involves several core elements:
• The Sacred Marriage: The king holds his throne and divine status entirely through his marriage to the local hereditary queen or high priestess, who acts as the human embodiment of the Triple Goddess. [1, 2]The Annual Sacrifice: Originally, this divine king ruled for a limited term (often a year, or sometimes six months). At the end of his rule, he was ritually executed, and his flesh and blood were sometimes consumed by the priestesses to bring fertility and blessing to the land and the tribe. [1, 2]The Tanist (Substitute King): Over time, kings began looking for ways to avoid this grim fate. They introduced the practice of appointing a "tanist" or surrogate—often a twin or younger male rival—to take on the divine mantle and face the sacrificial death in the king's place when the year concluded. [1, 2, 3]The Waxing and Waning Year: Graves drew on Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough to suggest a perpetual mythic struggle for the year's dominion. This idea later evolved into the modern pagan concept of the Oak and Holly Kings, who battle at the solstices for control of the dark and light halves of the year. [1]
By framing these myths through his highly idiosyncratic and matriarchal lens, Graves argued that much of ancient history and folklore records the struggles of these seasonal kings attempting to evade their sacrificial destiny and wrest religious authority from the matriarchal Moon-priestesses. [1]

King there...
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The footnote in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land mentioning Lake Nemi and a "King there" serves as a structural framework for the poem's theme of fertility, renewal, and ritual sacrifice. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The Footnote and the King of the Wood
In the original notes at the end of the poem, Eliot cites Sir James George Frazer's monumental anthropological study, The Golden Bough. The reference points to the ancient cult of Diana Nemorensis (Diana of the Wood) at Lake Nemi, located in the Alban Hills near Rome. [1, 2]
• The Ritual of Succession: Frazer describes how the sanctuary at Lake Nemi was guarded by a priest known as the Rex Nemorensis (King of the Wood). This priest was always a runaway slave who had to secure his position by plucking a golden bough from a specific tree and then killing the current priest in single combat.The Dying King: The King of the Wood held his title as long as he was strong and capable. When he aged or weakened, he would eventually be replaced and ritually slain by a younger, stronger successor. This unending cycle represented the cyclical death and rebirth of nature and vegetation. [1]
Why Eliot Included It
Eliot uses this footnote to tip the reader off to his poem's grander mythological framework, which is largely drawn from The Golden Bough and Jessie Weston's Grail legend study, From Ritual to Romance. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• The Fisher King: The "King" in the Lake Nemi footnote parallels the Fisher King of Arthurian legend, who rules a barren, ruined "Waste Land". In the legends, the King suffers a symbolic wound that renders him impotent. Because his health is tied directly to the land, his suffering causes the earth to become infertile. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]Modern Parallels: By connecting the King of Lake Nemi and the Fisher King, Eliot suggests that the spiritually barren, post-World War I modern world is similarly suffering from a "wound". The loss of shared spiritual belief, the trauma of war, and sterile, loveless relationships have turned modern civilization into an infertile waste land waiting for rebirth and redemption. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

🎶such are "footnotes" and "tips...there's a metaphor in all that, that overlays reality...one might expect the combat would occur at the solstices, or some naturally occuring astrological event...as it is, mob bosses off one another randomly, and when they're long in tooth...feeds been feeding me gangster tales...Nemi is in Italy, Diana is Artemis, who relocated from Crimea, the Black Sea-presently where Ukraine is fighting Russia...anyway, a divert!...back to smoke and mirrors!...

Male elk (bulls) challenge one another during the rut (mating season), which runs from September to mid-October. They fight over breeding rights to female harems. These intense, testosterone-driven battles allow bulls to prove their physical dominance, assert their strength, and prevent challengers from mating with their females. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Why They Challenge Each Other
• Mating Rights: Bulls compete to control and protect "harems," which are groups of 15 to 20 female elk (cows). A bull fights to secure his right to breed with these cows. [1, 2, 3, 4]Hierarchy and Dominance: Fights establish the social order. Dominant, mature bulls (usually 6 to 8 years old) do the vast majority of the breeding. [1, 2]Protecting the Herd: Bulls actively herd their females and must constantly fend off younger "satellite" bulls looking to steal cows. [1, 2, 3, 4]
How the Challenge Escalates
• Bugling: Bulls broadcast their superiority with loud, echoing bugles to announce their presence and warn off rivals. Interrupting another bull's bugle is seen as the ultimate sign of disrespect and a direct challenge. [1, 2, 3]Posturing & Antler Swinging: Before fighting, elk will size each other up through parallel walking, posturing, and swinging their heavy antlers against brush. They prefer to avoid physical altercations, which are highly exhausting. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]The Clash: If neither bull backs down, they charge, lock antlers, and shove each other back and forth until one submits and retreats. [1, 2]

While the ancient Egyptian god Thoth (or Djehuty) was deeply associated with magic, writing, and wisdom, classical Egyptian mythology does not feature a "magic mirror" as one of his primary symbols or artifacts. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
In original mythology, Thoth is most commonly depicted carrying the tools of a cosmic scribe: a stylus, a papyrus scroll, or a palette. He is also frequently seen holding the ankh (symbol of life) or the Eye of Horus (wedjat), which represents healing and protection. [1]
However, the connection between Thoth and magic mirrors likely stems from two overlapping areas:
• The Goddess Hathor's Mirror: In ancient Egypt, mirrors were not just for grooming but were considered magical objects used in divination, scrying, and as portals to the divine realm. It is actually the goddess Hathor who is famously associated with the "magic mirror" used in rituals to see the future and connect with the spirit world. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]Hermes Trismegistus: In later Hellenistic periods, Thoth was syncretized with the Greek god Hermes. This combined figure gave rise to Hermetic philosophy (and eventually the famous Hermetic text, The Emerald Tablet, often translated as "That which is below is like that which is above"). This "as above, so below" concept is sometimes metaphorically described as a cosmic mirror, and Thoth is often associated with the phrase "the mirror of truth" or spiritual reflection in modern esoteric practices. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

In Book 10 of Paradise Lost, John Milton masterfully links the shifting of the Earth's seasons to a literal, physical tilt of the planet's axis orchestrated by God as a direct consequence of the Fall of Man. [1, 2]
Before Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit, Milton describes Eden as experiencing a perpetual, unchanging Spring because the Sun stayed directly on the celestial equator. Extreme cold, blistering heat, and seasonal changes did not exist. [1, 2]
The Cosmic Punishment
Immediately following the Fall, God sends His angels to physically alter the mechanics of the universe to reflect humanity's new, corrupted state: [1, 2, 3, 4]
"Some say he bid his Angels turn askance The Poles of Earth twice ten degrees and more From the Sun's Axle; they with labour push'd Oblique the Centric Globe..." — Paradise Lost, Book 10 (Lines 668-671)

Milton details two competing astronomical theories of his era to explain how this harsh seasonal climate was introduced: [1, 2, 3]
• The Heliocentric View: Angels physically pushed the Earth's poles "twice ten degrees and more" (roughly 23.5 degrees) away from the sun's axis to create an oblique tilt. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]The Geocentric View: Alternatively, angels altered the path of the Sun, driving it away from the equator through the constellations to force the changing seasons upon each climate. [1, 2, 3, 4]
The Impact on Earth
By introducing this axial obliquity, Milton explains the immediate origin of:
• Severe Weather: The immediate introduction of freezing winters and scorching summers.Equal Night and Day Loss: The destruction of the perpetual equinox, bringing long winter nights and shorter days.Ecological Conflict: The introduction of fierce winds, storms, and the sudden clashing of the elements, which mirrored the spiritual discord inside Adam and Eve. [1, 2, 3, 4]Milton beautifully uses the advanced 17th-century astronomy of his time to serve a theological purpose: the very tilt of our planet serves as a permanent, physical scar of original sin. [1, 2]
Would you like to explore other scientific theories Milton integrated into Paradise Lost, or perhaps examine the specific roles of the angels who executed this planetary shift? [1]

The famous English poet John Milton (author of Paradise Lost) obviously did not own a real magical object. However, he is heavily associated with the literary concept of magic mirrors: [1]
• In Paradise Lost, the character of Lucifer is often described by literary critics as a "dark mirror" to Adam and Eve's initial innocence. [1]Milton was a massive admirer of Geoffrey Chaucer’s unfinished work The Squire's Tale, which prominently features a knight bringing a magic mirror as a gift to a king. [1]Scholar Julia M. Walker published a well-known feminist critique called Medusa's Mirrors, which directly contrasts the mirror imagery Milton uses for Eve with the literal magic mirror used in Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queene. [1

🎶stepping stones are tips...tip to tip to tip...tiptip...mirrormirror...game's almost over...for sometime, Grimm's mirrors...Chaucer's...Spencer's...

✨️Did Milton use hypnopompic dreaming?

Yes, John Milton famously utilized what are now described as hypnagogic and hypnopompic states (the transitional stages of sleep, including N1) to compose large portions of his epic poem Paradise Lost. [1]
While modern scientific terms like "N1 sleep" and "hypnopompic dreams" did not exist in the 17th century, Milton explicitly described this exact phenomenon. Completely blind and writing the poem entirely through dictation, Milton claimed that his "Celestial Patroness" visited him nightly, dictating verses to him while he slumbered or rested. [1, 2, 3]
According to literary history and his own notes, Milton routinely experienced these periods of light sleep or half-waking, where he would form and memorize massive, effortless chunks of poetry. He would then hold these lines in his head and eagerly wait for his amanuenses (such as his daughters or Andrew Marvell) to take dictation in the morning. [1, 2]
The specific phenomenon aligns with hypnopompic imagery—the vivid, often dream-like thoughts and auditory hallucinations that occur as the mind crosses over from Stage N1 sleep back into wakefulness. [1, 2]
Garden Grove, CA Because light enters the water from above, a dark back helps the fish blend in with the dark ocean depths when viewed from above. Conversely, their silvery bellies reflect ambient sunlight, acting as a cloak when predators look up toward the brighter surface. [1, 2, 3, 4]
This camouflage technique is widely used by many marine animals, particularly in the open ocean where there is nowhere to hide. You can explore more about how these marine marvels survive by reading about pelagic adaptations on Wikipedia. [1, 2, 3, 4]

🎶"countershading"!..."nowhere to hide"...Dodgers 4-Twins 3...Orioles 6-Angels 7...mirrormirror...

DavidDavid