Of Demons, Pisay and Futurology

When I was a child, the mere mention of the word hell conjured a grim picture that usually consisted of only two things – fire and a grotesque demon that my parents kept on talking about to freak me out. However, my idea of hell radically changed as I entered the Philippine Science High School. My childhood version of demons were characterized by long horns and mischievous smiles, but over the years, I realized that this strict definition could also be expanded to include sadistic and spiteful tendencies evidently seen in some of the teachers I encountered in the past.

My life in Pisay has not been a bed of roses; in fact, I had my own share of thorns fairly recently in the form of stress-inducing requirements. Hell weeks seem more unconquerable than ever now that I am a stone’s throw away from graduation. However, despite eternal nuisance that comes with spanning grueling path, I still never fail to make time for some of the finer pleasures in life− hanging out with friends, tinkering with my site and guess what, checking out my daily horoscope in the entertainment section of my favorite newspaper

I say that with no exaggeration. Check me out in the library some time, and there is a great chance that you will see me looking into that daily horoscope with friends or reading about Armageddon. My fascination with futurology and whatnot started when I chanced upon a book about signs and compatibility while roaming around a certain bookstore. I purchased that book, and the rest is history. A bit of information, though. I’ve always felt a strong affinity with astrologists glorified by history books such as the wildly famous Nostradamus. To add to that, I also seem to be a big fan of destiny and serendipity crap often seen in romantic movies. Surely, then, had I not seen that book, I would probably have taken interest in some other similar book anyway and launched my way to futurology.

Therefore, it came as no surprise to me when I landed on the Eighth Circle of Hell in the online Dante’s Inferno test. I have always preferred knowing things in advance, as opposed to waiting and facing the unknown. Indeed, the fourth chasm where poor beings are forced to walk with their heads turned around really seems to be my future place in hell. If it is any consolation, though, I know that I will be with Nostradamus, Madame Auring and other famous astrologists. It is but weirdly comforting to know my potential company in hell.

The online Dante’s Inferno test made me think about a lot of things− for instance, who would be my guide in my journey through hell if ever, and of course, if the possibility of reversing my supposed fate exists. If I could pick a guide, I would choose the fictional Dante Alighieri in Inferno himself for several reasons. For one, I would not want to pick a dead person whose soul resides in hell already, for fear that he may drag me into some deep and hidden chasm and never let me escape the gates of hell ever. In choosing the fictional and very much alive Dante, I would be assured that my interests would be taken care of. 

Also, he has taken this torturous path to hell already, so I know that he could share some stories about his past experiences and give me lots of insights, which other inexperienced people could hardly provide. Last but not the least, I am greatly drawn to this character, and it would bring me great pleasure to meet him in person and have him as my guide.

As I tap my keyboard keys to write the last paragraph, I am left to wonder− would I really want to embark on a journey through hell like Dante, and do I really feel comfortable with my possible circle in hell? As it turns out, my answer to both of these questions is a flat no. I would want Dante Alighieri to be my guide if and only if I had no other choice but to go through this path. Hell, it is unbelievably hot in hell. Also, I can be fascinated by the fact that I would be with Nostradamus if ever my soul entered hell, but deep inside, I would want to experience eternal happiness and fulfillment in heaven.

So I guess I’ll skip reading my daily horoscope tomorrow. Or not.