Recently, we received an email from Ray Grasse, author, astrologer, and associate editor of The Mountain Astrologer. He had found our blog through a mention on another site and suggested that we check out his book on the topic, The Waking Dream. We already own the book and it’s one of our favorites. It begins with a synchronicity we’d heard, but had forgotten about the making of the movie based on L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz. So, thanks, Ray!
This story was originally dismissed as a publicity stunt for the movie, but in The Making of the Wizard of Oz, author Aljean Harmtez contended that it actually happened.
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Frank Morgan played five different parts in the movie, including the disreputable Professor Marvel. For that role, the director and wardrobe man wanted him dressed in a “nice-looking coat, but tattered,” said Mary Mayer, a unit publicist on the film. So they traipsed down to a second-hand clothing store and purchased a rack of coats. Then Frank, the director and the wardrobe guy all got together and selected one of the coats.
In Harmtez’s book, it was described as “a kind of Prince Albert coat…black broadcloth…worn velvet collar.” The coat fit Frank and gave him a “shabby gentility,” the look they wanted. One hot afternoon, Frank apparently turned the pocket inside out and found a name sewn into the lining: L. Frank Baum.
The tailor in Chicago who had made the coat vouched that it had been made for Baum, his widow attested that it was the same coat, but the publicist could never get anyone to believe the story – thus the notion that it was a publicity stunt.
So what are the odds that the author’s coat would end up as a prop of the movie version of his story? Then there’s the added synchronicity that both men who wore the coat were named Frank.
Hysterical! This seems like a trickster synchronicity, JarieLyn. It kind of goofed on you, but got your attention! Even the tiniest synchronicities often lead to action and bigger things. Let us know how the journal about synchros works out. I think it's a valuable tool.
– Trish
OK Rob and Trish,
You two have inspired me to start keeping a synchronicity journal which I just started yesterday. This is a tiny synchronicity, but still it happens to me all the time. I had lunch with a friend yesterday and she gave me two books for my birthday. Both books were authored by Theresa Cheung. The first book is The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays and the second book is The Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 dreams. Our conversation during lunch turned to dreams and their meanings, etc. After lunch, I immediately turned the radio on and Dr. Oz and a special guest were talking about dreams and their meanings. Then I log on here to tell you about my starting a journal and your first paragraph contains a sentence about the waking dreams and then further you are talking about the Wizard of Oz and my connection to my synchronicity was Dr. Oz.
Oh well. I hope it makes sense to you. My writing skills aren't very articulate.
This is really amazing. I'll have to pass it on to daughter #2 who is still obsessed with the Wizard of Oz. She was "Dorothy" for several years at Haloween, and I noticed the old VHS tape in her TV while visiting the last time. Evidently she watches it whenever she wants to relax. Not a television watcher, by nature, The Wizard and Harry Potter help her to wind down, I guess.
Magic – it fascinates.
The ODDS are beyond comprehension, so it is singularly ODD.
So what are the odds? That question struck me, and then a thought.
That's what we forget,
the fact that there are odds.
I love this story!
I took a look – loved it, Gypsy!
hey lady – well, i can hope that my getting to play in a swing and go higher and higher literally and figuratively "plays" into my day in some way – however, from what i see at this moment, it's a day of having to take care of errands i've put off all week!!! uck! my own fault for waiting till A FRIDAY!!! my real FUN day! anyhow, just to let you know of a post i did yesterday over at gypsywomanworld which i think that you might enjoy – on a female level, as well – so check it out should you be so inclined –
🙂
That's a cool oddity, Gypsy!It'll be interesting to see how/if it plays out during the day in some way!
guess it is true – only need that 1 odd in whatever! would have loved to see his face when he pulled the pocket lining out – and you know, a lot of people simply want to dismiss anything out of the ordinary – the ordinary of their own life and limited thoughts – great story –
i had a little twinge just now of "oddities" – yesterday i did a comment on another blog [from greece]- with the time difference, the post was dated september 25
the post was that of a little boy and a swing with a caption: "want really high" to which i commented "and then higher and higher…" –
just now, september 25, here, i opened my emailed 'note from the universe' that i subscribe to and it read: "…..it's as if you're still gently swinging in that big, tree swing you're so fond of……as I stand ever-ready to give you the occasional push, whenever you holler out, "higher.""
fun way to start the day!
again, guys, another great post!