Light the Match

I recently watched Ari Aster’s Midsommar for I don’t know, the fourth or fifth time. That last scene, man, when a smile begins to spread across Dani’s face—horror gold. But if you take that moment out of the horror genre, most people will probably think it’s pretty fucked up. Granted, not the most fucked up scene in Midsommar, but still. Then again, most A24 movies have what I call the big ‘WTF’ moments. If you watch an A24 flick, you better expect it.

But sweet Dani. Sweet, dumped on Dani, watching her ex go up in flames. Do you think she’s smiling because he’s dying or is it something else? Christian was not a beloved character sure, but I don’t think it’s in Dani’s character to revel in murder. There could be many reasons she’s smiling. Has she found a home, a community? Does she ‘feel held’ by these people? Or is it that she’s changed, finding a new way?

In the Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron presents the idea of the morning pages. I won’t go on about this as I covered this in my last blog; but I want to stress the importance of that process, putting thoughts on the page, making room, making peace. Working through that book was a huge step in my writing journey. Now, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz—there’s another road sign on the path. I read this book once a year, to remind me of what I need to work on. It’s a small book but it’s jam packed with life lessons. The part about the letting go and deprogramming yourself, undoing the programming of your family of origin, really hits home.

Even if you think you can brain dump all of your mental crap onto paper, there is still work to do. This is how I work past writer’s block, how I can create space in my skull for new words, for stories. And what do you do after you’ve filled notebook after notebook of journaling and stream of consciousness writing? This woman sets it on fire. It’s not only a purging, but it’s also therapeutic, cleansing. When you let go, you begin to rebuild, discover your likes, your dislikes, find what you love. Fire is transforming. Fire is regenerative. Like Dani, it helps me start over, find a new way.

Book recommendation

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

My guilty pleasure

Some days I have what I call Rosemary’s Baby days. I don’t care how many times I’ve watched it, some days, I indulge. Now, there’s a movie that’s missing fire! If only Guy Woodhouse had been tossed into that little yellow a-frame with Christian. Sweet Rosemary may have stood there smiling alongside Dani. Roll credits.

Batty forever,

Greta