>From: "J. F. Kaiser" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Casting stones in water
>
>OK... I live in a house with only the road between us and a much
>frequented stony beach. When people-watching on any day -- winter or
>summer, I can almost guarantee 99% of youngsters and 90% men will pick
>up stones and lob them into the sea. <snip>
>Having lived on a large river (the Rhine) I would venture to say that
>water has to be considered "static" or still to induce stone chucking
>instincts. With moving water, one looks for items which will float to
>throw in. Preferably one side of a bridge and then running to the
>other side to see it reappear and speed on its way.
I'm confused by what seem to me contradictory statements. You say people
habitually throw rocks into the sea, which is moving water. Rocks do not
float. Then you say that people only throw floatable objects into moving
water. Isn't that contradicted by your saying that people throw rocks into
ocean?
<snip>>It has little to do with spirituality IMHO.
If you're talking about throwing rocks into the sea or a pond for fun, then
I'd agree with you. However, is that what's going on in most "holy well"
sites? Seems to me that some spirituality is involved when people approach
the site of a well in a certain way, often stopping at markers on the way to
perform ritual bows or genuflections or other actions, circle the well
sunwise three times while reciting certain prayers, drop an object into the
well, and tie a piece of cloth onto a designated tree, and (sometimes) look
into the well to see whether a certain reaction (such as the appearance of a
golden trout or salmon) occurs to give one some idea of whether or not one's
petition will be granted. And in some cases they repeat the whole thing on
three successive Sundays. Doesn't sound to me like simple instinct. Or do I
misunderstand your point? Are you saying that casting *rocks* has nothing to
do with spirituality but casting other objects might?
Francine Nicholson
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