Devine Reading "Normal" Books
Reading regular guy books with the sacred practices of monks and kabbalists and philosophers
Books define my life. I am a passionate teacher and fervent life long self directed learner.
Growing up in the home of fierce scholars who were also, unfortunately, American Fundamentalist Evangelicals, I learned a LOT about reading sacred texts.
A. Lot.
So. Much.
Today, I put those skills to good use and read lots of books as if they were sacred. Perhaps they are. They’re books after all… I digress.
Want to try your hand at reading “normal” books like they are sacred texts?
Here are my favourite approaches.
We’ll use Anne of Green Gables as an example.
Florilegia
Florilegia is the practice of collecting quotes from books into a journal. The word is from the Latin flos (flower) and legere (to gather): literally a gathering of flowers.
Anthology is a similar word, from the Greek word, ἀνθολογία (anthologic, literally "a collection of blossoms", from ἄνθος, ánthos, flower)
Traditionally you pulled passages that jump out at you in a commonplace notebook, where you are then able to read them chronologically as a sort of “text within the text”
Another traditional method would be a word study. Tracking the specific word throughout the text. This is more helpful in a translation situation, in my opinion.
In Bible reading it’s interesting to see how a single word in say Greek, can show up as many different words in English. Tracking the singular Greek word throughout it’s many translations and appearances is very enlightening.
In Anne of Green Gables, tracking individual words isn’t as interesting because there’s no language barrier between us and the author. However, if you’re reading a translated work, this could be fascinating!
My personal practise has a little spice…
I select a theme BEFORE I read the chapter. I went into this read knowing I wanted to read the entire text through the lens of the natural world. Chapter One I kicked off with “trees”. There were so many tree references!
When I finished reading chapter one, I had 11 passages. Together they were truly a bouquet of beauty from the book.
An optional step here is to include photos and pictures. I googled the trees mentioned by name and added pictures that fit the description to my journal page.
Divino Lectio
Divine Reading. An ancient way to approach sacred texts with roots in early monastic communities.
It’s been called a “feast” or “feasting on the word”. We bite into the word, we chew on the word, we savour the word and we finally absorb all the nutrients into our bodies.
I love the mental image of taking my books as a feast with a gorgeous bouquet on the side!
We read the text with an open heart and then “chew on it”, traditionally we then pray and meditate, but I don’t have that kind of practice so I, again, add a bit of my own spin!
I randomly select a theme before I read the chapter. You can google things like “list of values” or “literary themes” or my favourite is the Harry Potter and The Sacred Text Theme List.
I love the random aspect of choosing a theme because it gives room for the Universe to offer a lens for me to look through. I use either a numbered list and a random number generator or a random letter generator and do first letter, then count the words with that first letter, then randomise that number. :P
Chapter one, I was given “Being a Stranger”, which turns out to be a little on the nose for this chapter!
When I read Anne of Green Gables chapter one, I just read it. I’m absorbing the whole thing without trying to be a Try Hard about it. This is a cosy reading session. I’m keeping an eye out for my themes, writing them down as I go, but otherwise, just enjoying the journey.
I finish the chapter and really think about it.
I usually do a few chores in silence. I’m setting aside my analytical brain and I’m just allowing the story to take me on the journey it wants to take me on.
PaRDeS
Peshat - “Surface”, the literal lens.
Remez - “Hints”, like a hint of something deeper. The first looks at the symbolic meaning.
Derash - “Seek”, actively looking for the secret inner meaning.
Sod - “Secret”, finding that secret inner meaning.
Pardes literally means orchard in Hebrew which fits along with our mental image so beautifully!
It’s an old Kabbalistic Jewish way of reading Torah.
Traditionally practitioners are using many, many, layers of Torah and Rabbinical knowledge as they explore texts using PaRDeS. There are the laws, the numerology that is baked into Hebrew itself, the oral tradition, the esoteric tradition, so many lenses!
We aren’t working with all that when we pick up Anne of Green Gables!
That’s why I think after you’ve eaten your feast and you’ve smelled your bouquet, it’s time to wander in the orchard!
We can take a turn through the orchard of PaRDeS chapter by chapter, every few chapters, or at the end of the book.
I passively take a meander through the orchard at my whim, rather than a strict schedule. I love to use the three steps to structure my thoughts as I ponder the text IN BETWEEN sessions.
Do you sacred read?
Tell me about it!