Wednesday, July 17

Temptations Of The Fox And Other Puppet Masters

Geppetto and Pinocchio

Lurelle Bancroft
Last week in the UK media there was a story about a 16 year old schoolgirl Lurelle Bancroft who was turned away from her school prom (something we seem to have imported from the USA).

It seems Lurelle wants to be a model, or something like that, and was a finalist for Miss Teen Great Britain which affected her school attendance record and added to her general bad behaviour.

She was told she wouldn't be able to attend the prom, but turned up anyway and 'by chance' a Manchester picture agency just happened to have a photographer on hand to record the sob story in pictures.

It appears that so many nowadays want to be celebrities, or a 'star' in reality shows and ... I won't say any more on this, but you get the picture. The temptations for easy fame and money are dangled very much like J.Worthington Foulfellow the Fox did with Pinocchio.

Pinocchio

The Fox offered the easy way to success and Pinocchio followed. He was even offered 'hot' women (but it could just as easily have been hot men) puppets. And that's how many celebrity seekers end up - as puppets for shady characters like Stromboli.

Pinnocchio ignored his conscience's warnings at great cost - and was unable to return to his creator. Very much like people are persuaded to turn their backs on spirituality and their own creator or God. The money the puppet makes enriches his (or her) handler.

In Pinocchio's story he does gain back his conscience, via Jiminy Cricket, but is once more tempted, this time to Pleasure Island by Foulfellow the Fox. Here there is no school (knowledge) or laws (morals). Children are allowed to eat, drink, smoke, fight and destroy at will, all under the guidance of The Coachman. Instant gratification and satisfaction are offered much like with the celebrity world.

Pinocchio and Pleasure Island

Of course, we have free will, so everyone can return to their Creator but there is often a task or initiation to perform in order to do so. When Pinocchio tries to return to Geppetto he isn't there. It turns out he has been swallowed by a giant whale! Shades of Jonah from the Bible here:

Matthew 12:40. "For as Jonas was there three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."


Pinocchio jumps into the water and gets swallowed himself to find his Creator, Geppetto, which he finally does and escapes from the darkness to be reborn. And now we have shades of Freemasonry - but that figures as Carlo Collodi, who wrote Pinocchio, was initiated into Freemasonry.

And a quote from Plotinus (204-270):
"Therefore we must ascend again towards the Good, the desired of every Soul. Anyone that has seen this knows what I intend when I say that it is beautiful. Even the desire of it is to be desired as a Good.

To attain it is for those that will take the upward path, who will set all their forces towards it, who will divest themselves of all that we have put on in our descent:- so, to those that approach the Holy Celebrations of the Mysteries, there are appointed purifications and the laying aside of the garments worn before, and the entry in nakedness - until, passing, on the upward Way, all that is other than God, each in the solitude of himself shall behold that solitary - dwelling Existence, the Apart, the Unmingled, the Pure, That from, Which all things depend, for Which all look and live and act and know, the Source of life and of Being."

Other Random Posts:
Life Is But A Dewdrop On The Lotus Leaf: 20 Quotes On Life
The Bells Toll The Way To King Arthur And St Denys In Cornwall
Food For Thought: Peas Or Peace


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6 comments:

  1. I remember seeing the story about the prom girl, there are a lot of temptations about. Fame and fortune aren't always what they seem.

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    1. I think Lurelle's story was in most of the UK media. I feel sort of sorry for her, kids are being led down the wrong path to happiness.

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  2. Pinocchio is a terrific allegory and I love the way you've done this, drawing parallels to the prom girl. Interesting, too, that the author was a freemason. I didn't know that, but it makes sense.

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    1. As I said above I feel quite sorry for Lurelle, but it's the way of the world - instant success and gratification.

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  3. I think Amy could have done with a Jiminy Cricket -

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OFMkCeP6ok

    RIP Amy - 23/7

    I love the Pinocchio story,it will never grow old.

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    1. I guess Jiminy Cricket can't get around to everyone. RIP Amy.

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