How to Spell the Aura
1. You need a blank page and a pen or pencil to write with.
2. Whether you're doing it on your own, with one other person or more ... the first step is to collectively select 20 random words. You can use more or less words if you like ... but 20 is a good number to use.
3. Take turns, with each person calling out the first word that comes to mind - or you can open a dictionary and point at a word and use that. (N.B. This is not about word association. If someone says "cat" you do not necessarily have to say "dog" or "kitten" or anything that reminds you of "cat". You can say something totally different like "rainbow" or "prison"). Each time a word is called out, you both/all write it down at the top of your page ... so at the 20th word, you both/all have the same 20 words written down.
4. The object is to use the 20 words within your piece (along with other words of course, to make full sentences). Just start to write. Write without thinking, without wondering what word should go first, without stopping to figure out if something sounds good or makes sense, without thinking about what comes next. It is not about that. Let it flow. If you feel "stuck", ignore that and keep writing anyway, guided by the 20 words. You do not have to use the words in the order they appear on your list.
N.B. You can also change the nature of a word - e.g. if a word is "run" you can adapt it to be ran, running, etc. If a word is month you can make it monthly, etc. In other words you can use variations of a root word where applicable.
Use each word only once. There are some words you may end up not using at all because you were writing too fast and overlooked or forgot them. Or ... sometimes you may instinctively feel that your aura is finished even though you know you haven't used all of the words. If this happens, just stop writing (your aura is finished).
Then you read each other's auras.
I'll just do two here to show you as examples. I'm going to quickly write out 20 random words that come to my head now and then go straight into an aura using those words (writing without thought).
EXAMPLE #1
PULL, CAVITY, MEANDER, CYCLONE, HOBBY, DECISIVE, MAGICAL, MOMENTARY, TREE, WANDER, REACTION, PURPOSE, QUALITY, SILVER, CYLINDRICAL, WOMAN, SMILE, IDEA, THING, SUPERSTITIOUS.
A woman with a cylindrical smile
wanders momentarily into the cyclone.
It pulls her decisively, meandering like a magical snake
through the silver trees of twilight.
I am not superstitious, but such a thing
seems like more than a hobby.
There is purpose in a thing
that defies reaction.
EXAMPLE #2
STILLNESS, RECEIVE, MYSTERY, ICON, WATER, CONTAINER, FUEL, INK, SPIDER, BODY, YEARS, SKY, INDIA, PICTURE, ANKH, WOODEN, TRUE, HUNTER, NUMBER, RESCUE.
I have a picture of some water in India running like ink under the spidery sky. The years have added mystery to this wooden image which is still an icon in my memory ... fuelled by numbers written on mysterious containers ... rescued by hunters and held closely to my body.
Like I said. Sometimes they are clear, sometimes they seem cryptic, sometimes they seem to not make "sense" ... but this is the nature of the AURA.
2. Whether you're doing it on your own, with one other person or more ... the first step is to collectively select 20 random words. You can use more or less words if you like ... but 20 is a good number to use.
3. Take turns, with each person calling out the first word that comes to mind - or you can open a dictionary and point at a word and use that. (N.B. This is not about word association. If someone says "cat" you do not necessarily have to say "dog" or "kitten" or anything that reminds you of "cat". You can say something totally different like "rainbow" or "prison"). Each time a word is called out, you both/all write it down at the top of your page ... so at the 20th word, you both/all have the same 20 words written down.
4. The object is to use the 20 words within your piece (along with other words of course, to make full sentences). Just start to write. Write without thinking, without wondering what word should go first, without stopping to figure out if something sounds good or makes sense, without thinking about what comes next. It is not about that. Let it flow. If you feel "stuck", ignore that and keep writing anyway, guided by the 20 words. You do not have to use the words in the order they appear on your list.
N.B. You can also change the nature of a word - e.g. if a word is "run" you can adapt it to be ran, running, etc. If a word is month you can make it monthly, etc. In other words you can use variations of a root word where applicable.
Use each word only once. There are some words you may end up not using at all because you were writing too fast and overlooked or forgot them. Or ... sometimes you may instinctively feel that your aura is finished even though you know you haven't used all of the words. If this happens, just stop writing (your aura is finished).
Then you read each other's auras.
I'll just do two here to show you as examples. I'm going to quickly write out 20 random words that come to my head now and then go straight into an aura using those words (writing without thought).
EXAMPLE #1
PULL, CAVITY, MEANDER, CYCLONE, HOBBY, DECISIVE, MAGICAL, MOMENTARY, TREE, WANDER, REACTION, PURPOSE, QUALITY, SILVER, CYLINDRICAL, WOMAN, SMILE, IDEA, THING, SUPERSTITIOUS.
A woman with a cylindrical smile
wanders momentarily into the cyclone.
It pulls her decisively, meandering like a magical snake
through the silver trees of twilight.
I am not superstitious, but such a thing
seems like more than a hobby.
There is purpose in a thing
that defies reaction.
EXAMPLE #2
STILLNESS, RECEIVE, MYSTERY, ICON, WATER, CONTAINER, FUEL, INK, SPIDER, BODY, YEARS, SKY, INDIA, PICTURE, ANKH, WOODEN, TRUE, HUNTER, NUMBER, RESCUE.
I have a picture of some water in India running like ink under the spidery sky. The years have added mystery to this wooden image which is still an icon in my memory ... fuelled by numbers written on mysterious containers ... rescued by hunters and held closely to my body.
Like I said. Sometimes they are clear, sometimes they seem cryptic, sometimes they seem to not make "sense" ... but this is the nature of the AURA.
Give it a try.
- Happy Hippy -
posted by Elspeth at Sunday, April 03, 2005
2 Comments:
I'm so glad Marilyn's blog brought me to this older post of yours. I can't wait to try this! K
Thanks Elspeth for giving the link to this exciting post.
This method seems very impressive and enigmatic... similar somehow to the process of composing poetry.
I like your writings; the two of them were fabulous.
There is purpose in a thing
that defies reaction.
Wow! This is so philosophical and thought-provoking.
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