“Seth material” search engine (Jane Roberts)

The formality of the position of the house upon its hill provides a kind of structure of its own. The same house on low land would not suffice, you see. It is the entire picture that is important. There are good paintings to be found from the house, in terms of landscapes, and natural walks. You would end up, I imagine, tearing down a wall.

In formal rooms you use informal decor. In informal rooms you would use a more formal decor. You do not understand your mixtures of order and spontaneity, formality and informality. You do not want to move into an overly friendly neighborhood. Others do. Those houses have not sold because of the very characteristics you found attractive—their relative aloofness, and their aura of apartness.

There are points to be considered also in the Levine affair, for our bemused Dr. Levine would cut out all of nature, you think, if he had the chance, and as Ruburt said, sterilize the neighborhood. His response there was excellent for him, as you said. You both do need privacy for your work and because of your natures, but if you try to find a home with no dogs or children within miles, then in another way you are doing what Sam Levine is trying to do, only in your own way. To you, far more acceptable, of course, than his way.

Even you, however, will feel more secure with a place of your own than you would with the money drawing interest in the bank. It is a different kind of security. Your daily environment is very important to your work, and to Ruburt. The money in the bank is helpful, but if your daily environment is not conducive to your work and peace of mind, then the money security is meaningless. You will have plenty plus your house. An expensive house as such is not required. Your own ideas however of privacy and so forth in your society requires a certain amount of cash. There is nothing wrong for example with the south side. You also possess an esthetic sense, however. You require certain things of your art, and therefore you want the same things in your environment. Once you had it here, for all of your criticism. Now it is gone, and you are different.

At this time of your lives it is important that you act. I am telling you that of the houses in your mind it really makes little difference which one you choose. Neither house is perfect. You would find yourselves quite hampered in such an idealistically perfect environment. You need some give-and-take (period).

Regardless of the money and your attitudes toward it, the residence would serve you as well as the other one, and money is far more than a commodity. Each house could well be made to suit your specific needs, and each reflects strong elements of your personalities.

In the Foster house you would find yourselves having to open the place up, and you would find triumphant joy when the windows worked. Ruburt would eventually alter the kitchen so that more light came in. That would be symbolic and practical.

You would end up eventually making a studio in the attic, which would cost you more money, which you would have to spend. In the summer there would indeed be annoying children’s voices that reminded you that others lived differently. Ruburt would end up ripping away part of the carpet—good expensive rug—and changing the rooms about. And you cannot put a money value on what you would get out of that house.

In the beginning it would not be perfect. It would not be everything you want. From the standpoint of the construction, our dear friend cautioned you against the house. He strongly feels his responsibility to you, to advise you well. He is trying so hard that he bends over backwards to be honest, and if you will forgive me, Frank.

That house has greater capacity in terms of adding on in the attic. It has its own formality. That formality, oddly enough, will encourage Ruburt’s spontaneity, for he would find it a challenge to work with the house and yet in counterpoint.

Give us a moment.... I am trying to give you the best information I can. The house possesses its own kind of inner light this is not possessed by the Sayre house, and I recommend against that house regardless of price. It has a built-in darkness that no amount of applied light would disperse. Nor will you ever—particularly you, Joseph—be satisfied with sharing a driveway.

You must forget current market values. They are artificial. I am not telling you to forget your own finances, but the contractor’s idea of the physical worth of the Foster house has only an adjacent connection with its values to you. You would be well-equipped financially to make whatever changes you want in the future.

Give us a moment.... The hill house, again, has good aspects because of the location, the view and the proximity of nature. The dining area is better, as it is now. It would require little work.

Give us a moment.... The property also will rise, as I said the Foster property would. It is sunnier, obviously. You would definitely however end up tearing down a wall, and I believe that you might add another room, or want to possibly in the future, to one side. You would also end up enlarging some windows for your work areas. Ruburt would, incidentally, as he said, plop down at the largest window.

The Cobbles East house would not content you, though it is a quite adequate house, and elegant in its way inside. You would feel cramped, however. The hill house, because of its location, adds a spaciousness that is inside the Foster house, but either way you have an open feeling in terms of expansion.

I want you to consider the two houses as apart from your financial considerations. Either of them would do well enough.

The hill house does not. It represents a kind of challenge you have not thus far accepted. A kind of living in the present that has frightened you both. As given however it still possesses qualities that do go in with your natures. Foster Street represents an elegant secretive past, and you would both try to hide within it. Ruburt hates to give it up for that reason, but to a lesser degree so do you.

For your purposes the house is worth the price. In the market, in Frank’s terms, the house is worth perhaps $38,500, or $39,000. That price will also go up. Though the rooms are smaller there is in a strange way greater manipulability, psychically speaking. A definite change in living patterns will result, and of attitude, that would not happen in the Foster house. This also means that greater adaptability is required, but it will be to the good. The whole difference here is the quality of nature as it surrounds both houses. The one invites you to roam, the other to hide. Both houses have Sumari characteristics, but in different combinations. You both need the sun.