“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

(The 78th envelope object was a shopping list I had written out earlier today for Jane, but which Jane did not see. On a sheet of white paper torn from a pad, same color ink as the tracing on page 189, folded as indicated, placed between two pieces of Bristol and then sealed in double envelopes. Results were not particularly good. See Jane’s supplementary list, this page also.)

(See the tracing on page 189. The envelope object was a shopping list I made out with the intention of giving it to Jane earlier today, but did not do so. She never saw it before the test. It was written in a dark pen on white paper torn from a pad the same size, and was folded once before insertion into the double envelopes. The back was blank.

(The list represented numerous small things we had needed for some days, but Jane had been prevented from picking them up because of steady rain while I was at work. The list grew and indeed Jane was to get some items and perform some chores I had forgotten to put on the list. These too play a part in test results, since she had these equally strongly in mind this evening. She was to do all the chores tomorrow, Tuesday. See Jane’s list on page 190.)

(“Blues and yellows, strong colors.” Later Seth links these with paintings. The object contains items I use to do artwork with, although no paint. Jane did visit the art shop where I buy my paints. I thought another connection might apply also. Not on the list, but bought by Jane Tuesday were four transistor radio batteries. I had forgotten them but she remembered. The batteries are covered with a strong red, blue, and yellow design, very bulky. See Jane’s list, page 190, also.

(“An oval, the shape of an oval rug, for example.” See page 189. There are several ovals on the shopping list. The most prominent is the one I drew after the line “small tacks", with the size of the tack I needed indicated within the oval. Jane: I think rug is a literal interpretation of “matte" finish—see object.

(One of Jane’s chores Tuesday, not on the list but performed along with the listed items, was to mail a package to Sarah Bernard, who along with her husband visited us from North Carolina over last weekend. See the last session. The package contained a sweater Sarah forgot. The Bernards had visited Florida a few weeks ago. Jane had made her own list of errands to run Tuesday, and this included a visit to the post office to buy stamps, as well as mail the package. See Jane’s list, page 190 also.

(“I do have the impression of dark color and white, small handwriting perhaps on the back, in ink.” See page 189. The object does contain small dark handwriting on white. The back impression could have been picked up by Seth because the object was folded inside the sealed double envelopes.

(“Smaller shapes, fairly dark, perhaps like leaves in shadow. A connection with a note or letter. At least a connection with writing that is not on the object itself. That is, other writing, either in a note or beneath these images which I believe are on the object.” This is good data, and refers to the list Jane made out herself to supplement my list. See page 190. Jane made her list out Tuesday morning, November 29, after I had given her a copy of the list used as envelope object Monday, November 28.

(The two lists were linked in Jane’s mind of course by images, common goals, etc, of many kinds. One item of similarity showing up on both lists is the “cash check" data, referring to a check I had received for a painting recently….The mail package data on Jane’s list refers to the errand package discussed on page 195 under the Florida data. I had forgotten to add this item to my list.

(“Disconnected lines.” The object contains disconnected lines of handwriting. See page 189.

(“A distant place, that is rather distant, not close by. Water.” Probably a reference to the Bernards and their trip to Florida a few weeks ago. See page 195 and the Tubbs data. The Bernards live in North Carolina, which is also a rather distant places and the package was mailed to that address. We don’t know whether much water is close to Raleigh, NC.

(3rd Question: How about that scramble? “I do not know if it refers to a scramble of lines, events or perhaps eggs. The term scramble is my impression.” I told Seth it referred to events. See also page 195. A scrambled-egg connection also enters in, somewhat removed, since the Bernards and Jane and I had scrambled eggs for breakfast Sunday, November 27.

(I then asked Seth to elaborate on the strong color impression about the blues and yellows. See also page 195. “To do with paintings.” This has been explained. A more distant connection might arise from the fact that Jane’s shopping list, shown on page 190, was written on yellow paper with a dark blue pen. The battery interpretation is listed on Jane’s list; and my own list, which was used as object, contained items to be purchased having to do with art.

(Later I wondered whether Seth had been trying to get at the idea of string crossing itself around a package. A package of course is mentioned on Jane’s list, page 190. The cross effect can be easily found in the way I habitually wrap packages with strings and in the way I specifically wrapped the package to be mailed to the Bernards, thus: