saffronhare

This encounter amused both me and

zylch over our lunch adventures today, and seemed worthy of sharing.

In an effort to attain non-dilettante status in yet another magical system -- and in preparation for the Autumnal Equinox ritual on Sunday -- I decided last night to get a copy of The Middle Pillar by Israel Regardie. So, when

zylch was looking to kill some time (and hardly any people) over her lunch break, we took our commerce to Border's.

After confirming the presence of the book in the store as well as its location, I swear I was looking through the same two shelves of books for hours, leap-frogging back and forth with another browsing patron. Finally, I turn to him and say, "What book are you looking for? I seem unable to find mine, but maybe I've seen yours."

He smiled and replied that he seldom comes with any idea what he's going to buy, just a feeling that he wanted to go browse that day, and that he never fails to find or experience something interesting and necessary to the moment. I say something like, "oh." and he proceeds to ask me what I was looking for.

I tell him and in perhaps three seconds, he says -- "It's right here." ::facepalm::

Then, he goes on to tell me why this edition is so much more informative than all the other editions of it that he's read or purchased before...and explains all the other books by Regardie that might be particularly useful if I'd like to expand my study of the Tree of Life and the Middle Pillar. To her credit,

zylch refrained from poking me until we'd said farewell to the Helpful Gentleman. (And he really was one. If I were capable of drawing a picture of a Helpful Gentleman, it might even look like him. I'm not kidding.)

Huh. And now, my headache is gone and I have a loved iced chai to get me through the afternoon. Not a bad lunch break.