 ‘A Miracle!’ / That knocks me out
–from Sylvia Plath’s “Lady Lazarus” Several years ago, I dreamt that something extraordinary would happen when I had blue fingernails. Haha, dreams are so weird, right? Well, if you know me (and if you’re reading this blog, you likely do know me to some degree), you probably know that I might take that as a premonition. And so, for a time, when I had something significant going on, I’d get my nails done in blue. I did blue immediately after my T.V. show screentest (and then, Discovery Channel pulled the funds for pilots, and Covid, I am pretty sure, put the final nail in that coffin). I did blue nails for writing competitions and big tarot events. And over the years, nothing ever happened, so I quit trying to force a correlation. I just laughed off the blue nails, and I didn’t even think about it for a long time. And then last week, I was in the nail salon looking over their selection and thought, What the hell. Let’s go blue. For no reason at all. And then, it happened—the thing. I have known about Sylvia Plath’s hermetic caduceus for over ten years. It is a hand-carved wooden magic wand sort of thing she made when she was 15, covered with alchemical symbols and it bears her initials, S.P., at the base on one side. Plath Profiles featured this article with a photo well over a decade ago. I never even considered the possibility of owning it. It was well-known to be held by Dr. Richard Larschan, a friend of the Plath family. Long story short, my friend Catherine Rankovic is a scholar of Aurelia Plath, Sylvia Plath’s mother, and had been in contact with Larschan. She told me that Larschan was looking to put this caduceus in the hands of someone who cared. Someone who appreciates Plath’s interest in the occult. And she connected us. Richard Larschan sent me an email, and I wrote him back immediately. After days, I did not hear anything and tried again and again. After all, this is Mercury Retrograde, and all four of my responses did not get to him! Catherine told him that I was trying, and he texted me. That worked, the deal was made, and I received Sylvia Plath’s hermetic caduceus by mail (imagine how I gritted my teeth with all this retrograde stuff happening, fearing it might get lost!) on Wednesday, May 11, 2022. I can’t quite believe it. This caduceus is now the most precious and valuable object I own and is locked up off-site (but visited often!). Dr. Larschan also included a beautiful 1952 photo of Sylvia Plath, inscribed on the back by Aurelia, with its provenance papers and a DVD of interviews with Aurelia Plath. Dr. Larschan calls it Plath’s “letter opener.” My husband has nicknamed it my “splinter.” I call it my magic wand, as I feel now that I can do anything. I am blessed beyond measure. It is such a reassurance that despite all the opposition and exile I’ve faced from the Plath academics over these years, none of their superiority, insults, or petty jabs mean anything anymore. I am so obviously on path. What greater gift could Sylvia have given me than this? No jewelry, clothing, or drawing could mean as much to me. With its built-in alchemy and hermeticism, it is exactly right for me. Even Plath’s tarot cards, which were auctioned off last year at over $207K, were not made by her own hand! (And I do doubt those cards were her only deck, as I have so much evidence that she used a Rider-Waite-based deck for the Ariel poems, but that’s a whole other blog for another time). How is it that one of the most extraordinary things to ever happen to me just fell into my lap? Aside from a few emails, I didn’t even try. This is how God works. Thanks for letting me share my joy with you. More photos are up on my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Let me know if you can’t find them. P.S. If you’re a scholar or friend who wants to see it, let me know, and I’ll make arrangements to have it ready for you. CADUCEUS, HERMES, HERMETIC, HERMETIC CADUCEUS, HERMETICISM, HISTORICAL OBJECTS, LITERARY, MAGIC WAND, MERCURY, MERCURY RETROGRADE, MIRACLES, PLATH OBJECTS, RICHARD LARSCHAN, SYLVIA PLATH, VALUABLE OBJECTS
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