Because the Bible takes it for granted that there is a meaning to the whole cycle of human existence and that every event, however trivial it might seem, has a figurative, typological, or, as we would now say, symbolic relation to the whole, we have learned in other areas of our existence to look for narrative, with a pattern of hidden meaning, rather that a mere chronicle of events”
Introduction to the UWL “The Bible”. It goes on to say that this was a political choice, in order to say that the history of the Jews is over and has served its purpose.
I have posed myself a question in my role as a poet. I once thought that the poet’s role was to look at things and point to god. Now I think it is to look at things and point to things. Well, either could be true, or, if we follow Spinoza, both at once. But what is the Arachnean perspective? Surely things are things, but then they are invested with great power. Think of the quote from Deligny’s ‘The Arachnean’, detailing the ritualistic behaviour of one girl placing sticks on the spot where a fire once was.
Then we compare this to the above quote, and we wonder if the ‘pattern of hidden meaning’ that we attribute to things is thicker in our present age. That there is more meaning between us and things, perhaps that we project onto them. And doesn’t this imply that we are able to see the things less well. And that, possibly, we are less able to see the meaning inherent in things.
The current trend is to look back to a pagan, pre-farming era, and think that things were better then. I don’t want to copy that trend. But (!) I often wonder if the Arachnean belongs to a former time. I think this idea might be in Deligny too.