The Book of Ether, Chapter 6: the Physics, the Chemistry, the Masks we wear - from Cheryl Penn

[Marie Wintzer]

Cheryl and I have an ongoing collaboration called The Book of Ether. Maybe you were not around when it all took off, so I will start by quoting Cheryl and her short version of what Ether is: an alternate existence created in the mind due to internet connections. This is only the very short version, of course, and every chapter unveils a little bit more of the story (you are very welcome to check out the pictures of the previous Chapters in my Book of Ether folder).

This chapter, my favorite one so far, deals with the physical and chemical properties of Ether.
Ether is a volatile and fleeting substance. You can't grab it. You just know it is here, and when it is here, you also know it will evaporate in no time. And probably reappear. An extremely fragile and labile world where connections are done and undone at a rate probably much higher than in "real life" as we know it. 
(and notice the stamped 0 and 1 along the pages, a reference to the binary computer language or, as someone pointed out earlier, The Matrix, why not).

Because the Ether is so mercurial, if I can say so, it is hard to color-assign it. Which color is the Ether? Does it even have any color? It is hard to see from the photos, but Cheryl printed quite a bit of text, black on black, and with this we enter the world of Ether Physics. "The existence of every type of Black", "Black Holes exist in Ether". My personal view to it is that Black Holes are what is left when the Ether vanishes, but more of this below... 
Cheryl also quotes Albert Einstein. As I googled the quote, much to my surprise, I found out that Einstein had been thinking about the Ether a LOT! Yes, Einstein had his head floating in the Ether way way before we did. How cool is that?
At the turn of the 20th century, most scientists believed that light traveled through an invisible form of matter they called Ether. Einstein disagreed. He asserted that light waves, unlike other waves, could exist where no matter was present.
Quoting him:
"With regards to the general theory of relativity, space cannot be imagined without Ether"
"In gravitational Ether, time does not run, and neither does it run on the surface of space bodies or in space ships. Experiments with clocks, these high precision pendulums, only record the speeds, durations and numerical order of changes taking place in the gravitational Ether. Time is not a physical reality, the past and the future exist only in human reasoning. Changes take place "here and now" in the gravitational Ether."
And the sentence quoted in this chapter: "It is only with reluctance that man's desire for knowledge endures a dualism of this kind. How was unity to be preserved in his comprehension of the forces of nature?"

Isn't that extraordinary? I hope you are sharing my enthusiasm about this matter. Reading about Einstein and his pioneering work on Ether and how it fits Cheryl's concept so well was quite an experience.

"Preservation of unity in his comprehension of the forces of nature"...
Central to the chapter are two of the most mesmerizing photos I have ever seen. Ether masks. Cracked Ether masks surrounded by scratches. Masks we are wearing in that parallel world where we meet. The other us. This is a very interesting concept, leaving very little chance for anything true and open in the Ether. I guess some days one feels this way more than others. Is unity possible? How many can it endure? How many scratches? From the picture it could well be that the Black Holes in the Ether are MADE of scratches. Up to interpretation, for sure....

And a close up on the mask because I like it so much :-))
"A dualism of this kind"... Is there dualism in the Ether? Most certainly. Maybe even tri-alism or quadri-alism of some kind. The kind of dualism that gives us painful headaches (or other aches) on some days and make us jump back into it on others.
I think I've talked too much, I will leave you with Einstein and his Ether. I wonder if he too was wearing masks...

[Nancy Bell Scott]

Einstein with Rabindranath Tagore (from my postcard collection).  Bet there was ether talk.

[De Villo Sloan]

MinXus Music #4 - ether music

[Alicia Starr]

oh man, sublime work here. Exceptional blog Marie.

[Lilian Mariutti]

What a great project!

Love it!

[Nancy Bell Scott]

With this piece, and this blog, ether becomes a reality that promises to be graspable and yet insists that it isn't. I am now officially in love with ether. Einstein helps this along a bit--ok, a lot, because what's not to love in that mind and hair--partly because of Marie's lovely reference to Einstein's having had "his head floating in the ether." The words/art of Marie, Cheryl, and Einstein actually give substance to the concept of time because they make clear that in the ether, there is only the now. This has to be a glorious version of living in the moment. It casts away, for just one example, the life/death duality outlook that Rilke worked so hard to rid the human mind of (excuse the grammar). Love the questions, live the questions.

Cheryl, what a fascinating work, and the masks are of the highest order. Marie, you have completely outdone yourself with this blog, and you were no slouch in that department to begin with. It is absolutely stupendous! You should have a special prize that only you could earn.

[cheryl penn]

I LOVE that one :-)!

[De Villo Sloan]

Even T.S. Eliot was interested:

 

Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky
Like a patient etherised upon a table;
Let us go, through certain half-deserted streets,
The muttering retreats
Of restless nights in one-night cheap hotels
And sawdust restaurants with oyster-shells:
Streets that follow like a tedious argument
Of insidious intent
To lead you to an overwhelming question...
Oh, do not ask, "What is it?"
Let us go and make our visit.

   In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

[cheryl penn]

O - its flammable alright  ;=))!! ANOTHER fab from DW?? Sure must be keeping out of mischief! I think he needs an evening off? I had to laugh - I read (under hazards) Fire - extremely flammable - may be ignited by HEART, sparks or open flame... 

[De Villo Sloan]

I love the ether book(s). Is this all of it? Great stuff about Einstein. I think we traced it back further to Aether(?) in philosophy. And ether's smell? Smells like ether. Dw has investigated:

[Marie Wintzer]

You're right Angie, imagery and language and perfectly combined in this chapter. The power of it....