This solo exhibition and discourse unfolded at the Swedenborg Centre Roseville, Sydney on Saturday 6th-11-2021. 7pm to 9pm. The discourse was given by Dr Andrew Heslop via Zoom. The exhibition opened on the night and will be on display in the centre till Friday 26th-11-2021, For details of opening hours and for zoom video go to http://www.swedenborg.com.au.
This exhibition and talk centred around the spiritual exercise of the Latihan. This exercise was shared with my spiritual teacher Dr Philip Groves in the early 1950s from the Indonesian Sufi called Pak Subuh. Dr Groves in turn shared it with most of his students up to his death in 1999.
The idea for this exhibition and discourse was given to me in vision as I lay in bed in the oncology ward of Royal North Shore hospital, Sydney earlier this year. I was told in vision to organise an octave of group Latihans exercises, during which i was to ask for a healing symbol to be given to me in vision that represented the inner contents of the half hour spiritual exercise of the Latihan. During each of these 9 half hour exercises of total stillness and surrender to Greater Life, I received what i refer to as a healing symbol. A symbol that can be meditated upon by those who have Ears in their Hearts.
These symbols to me represent the “Return Journey” to my birthplace in the spiritual Eternity. The following quote is from one of the early “Orphic Mysteries” on the return journey process. This arcane quote is a very ancient form of the sacred process of Self-remembering.
I am a child of earth and starry Heaven. But my race is of Heaven alone. “O give me quickly to drink of the cold water that comes from the Lake of memory”
Very great words of truth, and again worth deep pondering and contemplation upon by the Seeker of Truth.
Continuing this process of “Aspects of Street Art”. this one being series 5. I had the great pleasure to return briefly to Portugal in 2016. just before leading a group to Fes. Morocco for the annual sacred music festival.My partner Susi and I started off in Lisbon the capital. As we wandered the streets and alleyways of this medieval city what caught my camera’s eye was the huge outpouring of what i call “Street-Art”. it was in abundance everywhere. and as i love to try…..to capture the essence of the art. Here i focus mainly on faces. To me the Face is a doorway to the soul. the essence of the image. and this is what i try to capture and share with my Photo installations for those who have eyes in their hearts and can imagine greater depths beyond these Photo images.
Why Portugal ? well I was in search of ancient Megalithic sites and other spiritual treasures. I was rewarded over and over with a feast of visual-spiritual delights. Our first ancient site was Evora. we visited an ancient cave to view 25.000 year old art. mainly engravings. some having a little colour pigments on them. The cave represents spiritually our unconscious. No faces here but still real Wow stuff for me. next was a huge stone crop circle again more magic, A tall single stone Menhir. three stone Dolmens. Remembering at the beautiful Dolmen site the words of the 4th way teacher Gurdjieff, who said that when one encounters a dolmen in the country side one should look further afield as there are usually several dolmens which make up a sacred enneagram. Food for thought. I will point out here that this area around Evora is where Megalithic building arose and spread throughout Europe, the middle east and parts of Asia. So a very important place for me to visit. (remembering spiritually place=spiritual state). Here there were no faces to photograph just spiritual states to enjoy and feed upon.
Next part of this sojourn was the lovely Christian pilgrimage site of Fatima. I found this place fascinating and some good snapshots were taken here of both pilgrims and static images. just outside Fatima was the little town of Tomar. which has the most beautiful Christian Templar castle. Here the Templars worshiped Christ…. If only the walls could speak! It to me was the Holiest place that i have visited ever, just the most serene. spiritual place, A real Wow state for me to experience and attempt to digest.
Our stop over in the north at Oporto. Here we enjoyed lots of fantastic food, modern and old art galleries. Now here I took a good variety of Street-Art snapshots of which I am currently showing an installation of them at the Swedenborg centre in Sydney till Saturday 5th June 2021. Check their website for details http://www.swedenborg.com.au
A few Photos to wet your Face-travel hunger. Enjoy (will we ever travel internationally ever again ? soon I hope.)
After being stuck in Sydney for the last year because of covid 19 the opportunity to break the sydney stranglehold came when I saw the advertising for the block buster Painting exhibition of “Botticelli to Van Gogh” opening at the National Gallery in Canberra. So a great 3 day sojourn began on Monday 10th May to 13th May. We travelled via Bowral in the Southern Highlands staying overnight at Susi’s brothers place. We dined at the very lovely and expensive Thai restaurant called Paste in Mittagong….Worth a visit if you want a truly Great dining experience but book well ahead as they are very popular. people travel up from Canberra & Sydney to graze her. just the yummiest food I have experienced for a very long time.
Tuesday lunch at a chinese hole in the wall job in Bowral food was overrated but gave us the energy to head of to Canberra. In Canberra we stayed at the Pavilion on Northbourne. It was a little worn around the edges, MMMMmmm…at reception I asked kindly if we could have a nice quiet room away from the huge multi story construction site that was at one end of the hotel complex. Not a problem Sir.you will be well away from that area. off we went to the second floor and yep in true Indian style we were right next to the construction site…..in an earlier Life I would have gone back down to reception and sorted this bloody prick. Life is too short and I am like the hotel…a little worn around the edges so just rolled over and tool it.
So in Canberra. we caught up with Susi’s sister and husband at a recommended (by them) Chinese restaurant across the other side of Canberra. this was a place to visit and enjoy so we were told. I am not going to mention its name for fear of being hounded by “Hungry-ghosts” for the rest of my life. The Mama in charge was a real bloody number, she had skills that must have taken years to develop…None….all the food tasted the same…my first dish was So bloody hot and spicy I had to send it back to the kitchen this brought the wrath of Moma upon me. eventually I settled for chicken & corn soup straight out of a can I am sure. Not a good dining experience at all. back to our 1980s hotel a little TV then sleep came easy….yep living the Canberra Dream.
Wednesday, breakfast in the inner tardy courtyard of our hotel. this place reminded me of some many of the one star hotels that I have stayed in on my travels across India. the only thing missing were the Indian waiting staff hiding behind anything they could hide behind so they would not be noticed. AAAArrr I do miss India. back to breakfast the usual buffa style serving. I started chatting to a bearded guy burning his toast. I looked at him a little closer and said you look just like Costa from the Gardening Australia TV show. he replied every body says that…I then realised yes it was Costa…yet another foot in the mouth experience for me. Susi came to my rescue and we three chatted about gardening stuff for several minutes. what a nice experience. he is a really down to earth lovely human being. A Great start to our day. this breakfast experience only offered “Bad” coffee so we fled to the National Gallery early for our morning fix of the black brew. Yep in true Covid style the gallery had closed their lovely restaurant and in its place just near the entrance they had a pop up cafe selling very expensive coffee and cakes…Yep they had a captive audience. The shot of coffee hit the spot worth the price. Our booking for the gallery exhibition was done on line at great cost months before. we went through the covid testing and scanning of tickets thinking we were special as we had an 11am booking and were told don’t be late or you may not get in…..Yep we lined up for about 45 minutes with the other 750 people who had booked for 11am to get into the gallery. The exhibition. well it did say “Botticelli to Van Gogh” and that was about it….I enjoyed several of the 140 odd paintings on show. but all in all it was just a brief history display via the medium of painting. not my cup of tea at all. just observing the crowd in the gallery most seemed excited to be in the presence of some old master paintings….but I felt lots of people were trying to get a European experience within the closed borders of OZ Land….a difficult fantasy indeed.
The paintings that I enjoyed very much were The Virgin and Child by Domenico Ghirlandaio Italy 1449-1494. this beautiful painting is rendered three-dimensionally ever so well. a true altarpiece. just loved it. The Annunciation, with Saint Emidius by Carlo Crivelli Italy 1405-1494. this painting had just so much depth, perspective and deep symbolism. one could spend years looking and feeling one’s way into who and why it was constructed. A very touching experience for me worth the drive to Canberra just to experience this great work of perhaps “Objective art”. I just loved it. Some of the other paintings I loved were La Première sortie by Pierre-Auguste Renoir France 1841-1919. Hillside in Provence by Paul Cezanne. France 1839-1906. Sunflower by Vincent Van Gogh The Netherlands 1853-1890. Sunflowers are my favourite flowers. so yes a great painting to experience. Some years ago I visited the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam with a local Dutch artist and friend so saw a few of his Sunflower paintings there. A great museum to visit the only thing that struck me were all the boring dull still life painting that were in the collection…..dark and dull they were. in conversation I turned to my Dutch artist friend and casually said So what do you feel about these still life paintings…? he casually replied if he was a contemporary painter working in Holland now he would find it very difficult to find a gallery to show his work. well said I agreed. The last painting that I love was titled The Water-Lily pond by Claude Monet France 1840-1926. I did see many of his works on our various visits to Paris in Past lives–pr covit. So this painting was a little feeding frenzy for me. I would love to visit France again in the unfolding New World and visit his beautiful gardens just outside Paris…on the bucket list. just leaving the gallery and Susi said let’s visit Yayoi Kusama’s room installation titled The Spirits Of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens. Yayoi ia a Japanese Outsider Artist and national treasure. I felt very privileged to be able to step into and truly enjoy one of her masterpieces of art. Wow stuff that messes with your head again a must visit if you are in Canberra.
After all this art stuff back to hotel for an afternoon rest. tonight we had a lovely dinner with a friend of Susi’s. a great night and talk fest had by all. back to hotel. sleep
Thursday breakfast at a lovely yummy cafe..forgot the name but the food was to die for then drive back to wards Sydney stopping off to catch up with and old friend in Mittagong then on through to Sydney arriving about 5pm Susi did all the driving. An angel she is. I love her dearly. both of us a just worn out from all the travelling. sleep came easily tonight. This sojourn is just a warm up for I hope other adventures into parts of OZ Land in the near future.
2020, A year that changed the world and all its people. The suffering, despair. financial hardship. many. many deaths. the world was one people’s. one phylem, all suffering the same drama the “Red Plague” all looking to their central Governments for help to get them through this calamity. answers were few. help especially here in Australia was quick. 10 months later a vaccine almost here. many are nervous as to its outcome only time will tell if it works…? It’s as if the whole planet is in prison…the feelings are dull on one hand and very much heightened on the other hand. A dream like state has descended upon our lovely Blue Planet or is this an insight into the “sleep-state” that many esoteric teachers talk about over and over. the state we must break free of if we are to gain some kind of consciousness and have a real future of use’s into our Eternity.
Yep, 2020 started of with a mighty roar. huge bush fires ravaged our land. then server drought, then floods and to top it all off the “Red Dragon” reared its ugly head. could it get worse..? well at least we had very little activity on the world wide war front not forgetting the planets pollution is way down….is this telling its inhabitants something…..? if so. will we get it and remember what to do about our Planet’s future. God I pray for positive long term change.
What unfolded for me over 2020 ? that I can reflect upon, learn from and hopefully help me be a better useful human being in 2021. I moved into Susi’s place for the short term….still there 10 months later. quite space. love it. yes we do gently move around each other on occasions….her space and I am just the visitor. it works. I got very excited over the late possibility of a group tour to Fez. Morocco for the sacred music festival in June this travel dream was washed away by the coming of the Red Plague……perhaps next year ?? I did manage to continue the process of “Beyond the 4th Way” series of talks starting with Arcane Aspects of Prayer. on the 20th January 2020 I had a terrible dream in which the end of the world presented itself……the rest is history. I finally got my back tax in order Big thanks to Susi here. 17th-2-2020 I completed the book B of my journal “Meetings with the Mystical–Conduits of Divine Love–Revelations of the Golden Stupa” an A3 large journal of my searching for a visionary tibetan stupa which started way back in 2005. in Sikkim. India. big job. glad its completed. I just had it bound at Allbook bindery in Sydney. Next I finally completed the manuscript of a gathering of Birds ( Dr Groves students) in 1998. this I will get bound later on. In march I kicked started the lovely Latihan exercise. suggesting to those who have Ears in their hearts to do the exercise as a group virtually once a week for the rest of the year. March 20 to 21st I was invited to exhibit some of my Wandjina totems in the Edible Garden trail at Steph Robertsons place in Pennant Hills a lucky break for me during this lock down period. It was filmed and put on line for those who were interested. no visitors. perhaps the way of the short term future..? (see photos) I finally got my pension card—I now live in God’s country. 9th-April I took empowerment of the Buddhist deity. “Healing Goddess Parnashavari” this teaching empowerment was given by Lama Choedak. who is based in Canberra, ACT. A wonderful experience for me via Zoom. Sunday 12th April 2020 I started the first of 12 lovely “Absent Healing” processes these are done virtually around the world with invited like minded friends, = a use. a service to those in need. My poetry is still coming forth….slowly. 11th-5-2020 I had the visionary idea given to me to do a series of 49 drawings highlighting the lovely “Jesus Prayer” a huge undertaking. but i am in lock down and in need of a good project this year, So on I go on another SP Sojourn. Sat 13th-6-2020. Last night I experienced my first spiritual attach for this year….not good but I will survive. Tue-16th-6-2020 to day I had my first….and hopefully last covid 19 test….not pleasant at all. over the last 6 months I had my usual health tests all is sort of normal. I had a huge healing dream in which I am to take the very potent healing herb “Yarrow” I will take this in conjunction with other herbs over the future. 7th-9-2020 I finally completed a small paper titled “Infinity and Beyond” on the buddhist mantra of “Om Mani Padme Hum” great to complete as it’s been ongoing for a few too many years. 14th-9-2020 I turned 71. just have no idea how I made it…Saturday 10th-October 2020. I put together a solo installation of my Jesus prayer process at the Swedenborg centre in Sydney. Dr Andrew Heslop gave the discourse…all was done via Zoom. too easy. just loved it could be the way of the future. We had our gathering of Fessies in Sawtell. at Maryanne & Andrew Heslops place on the Nth coast of NSW on the 7-8th November. A truly wonderful gathering for food, drink, to share stories and a clay meditation workshop. the workshop was guided by Maryanne….very special for all who attended. 21st- November the second this year of “Beyond the 4th Way” the title of which was “Energetic Management for the Soul Growth” another Zoom process. Wow. then on 5th December we had our 3d of the year processes of “Beyond the 4th Way” the title of which was “Icons of the Ethiopian Church-an Introduction” another Zoom success. Mon-7th-12-2020 over to concord hospital to get my left leg checked out after various pokings etc etc I was told go away its only a small faulty blood vessel valve in my leg….MMMrrr……? 9th -12 2020 I got my manuscript for my first compilation of Poetry bound at Allbook-Binders. titled “The Way of the Heart” series 1. “To Sojourn” a feat. but the start of a great process for me. I also had the “Jesus Prayer” set of 49 drawings bound too. this was even a greater feat. Thought of, and celebrated the late Nek Chand’s birthday on the 25th-12-2020. He truly was a Great man & Outsider Artist.
So as 2020 draws to an end, I thank God for all that I have been involved with over the last 12 months of “Doing stuff” and I thank Susi for putting up with me doing it. Hoping that 2021 just gets better for all on this beautiful Blue Planet we call home.
Our last Fessie gathering for 2020. What a year it’s been. the year of the Red Dragon flicking it tail around. I know nobody to date who has caught the virus. thank God. So a great gathering of of travel friends in Sawtell on the far Nth coast of NSW. At Maryann & Andrews place they were our lovely hosts for this gathering of Fessies & guests. And what a feast. the food was just beyond words. all who came contributed a very yummy dish. all different in both a visual and taste sense. No new travel stories to share as we have all been in travel-limbo for the last 9-10 months…..will it ever end ? I am biting at the bit to jump on a bloody Plane to almost anywhere for a change of colour & inner state. They say the end of 2021 could be a goer…??? This is a little like saying that President Trump is going……?..he seems to have other ideas on this process….!
So a great weekend away from the City. close to the sea and sharing with like minded wonderful people. just so good to have this change. refreshes the body, mind & senses. Susi and I need to do this more often. We all need to do this more often during and after the Dragon stops waving its deadly tail around.
Maryanne led the most wonderful meditation-visualisation ceramic workshop in her personal studio on Sunday morning. all the fessies attended. we all made a “Cosmic-boat” in white clay. We are to (if we want) use this Cosmic boat to visit fare off spiritual places & states in our dreams, visions & hyparcical sojourns. Wow. lucky us.. this has been a real bonus weekend on many levels for me, and I get to keep the boat I made. how good is this.
I want to quote Dr P Groves here on this Cosmic-boat process.” Everything is a symbolic expression of the forces that compose it- that is- all objects are hieroglyphs which conceal the true nature of their inward composition. One should ponder about things. that is how we change. Our outer must correspond to our inner world”. So ponder upon the symbolism of this Cosmic-boat process and sail forth to new and better states of Being.
Food on many levels here to ponder and feed upon. Enjoy the feast. A few Photos to help in the visualisation process. Cheers Michael 18-11-2020
A great Sojourney over a 5 month period this year, Writing, working with the sacred “Jesus Prayer”The version of the prayer I choose was “Lord Jesus Christ Son of God have Mercy”. I did 49 drawings using the enneagram as the vehicle. As I drew each of these images I attempted the work processes of self sensing, self observing, self remembering, and as I drew-chanted each of the prayers silently. I attempted to sense each movement both internally and externally of my body- being.
The end process externally was a great gathering of 49 images illustrating my sojourn from month to month till they were shown at the Swedenborg centre last night to be part of the “Enneagram of the Jesus Prayer” process Dr Andrew Heslop gave a wonderful discourse on the above process focusing on mainly the inner contents of the Jesus Prayer. This discourse was via Zoom. (the catch word at the moment)
For me this 49 step process was summed up in the following words that came forth from the Beyond to me as I completed the last of these 49 drawings, the last drawing is titled “Stillness”.
“Prayer is worship. Here as I draw the “Face of God” I feel deep reverence for this earthly representation of our Creator: as I write the prayer over and over I sense-feel it being inscribed upon my heart. My essence leaps with Great Joy as it feeds upon the energy of this sacred prayer . As I silently chant these sacred words I ponder upon them. These words are the outer manifestation of the “Theo-Mert-Mologos”.which is the very Word of God.
Now the face of God reference that I have made is a reflection of how some Sufi followers see the interior of the enneagram. They see it as a representation of the “Face of God” A very big statement. But a wonderful way of looking into the dynamic depth of this work diagram.
Lots of food for thought here. I will stop her for fear of just putting words one after another. It was a great process to do, What to do next………….?
Nearly 6 months of semi lockdown, The Red Dragon is still flexing its long tail World-wide. We are being told this is the second wave…MMMMmmm…? I feel that it’s just the ongoing spread -unfoldment of a World wide change that has as yet. not been acknowledged as the New World. This will hit home to many peoples and Governments worldwide over the year ahead. We all may have to embrace Buddhism to cultivate and share Great Compassion with our fellow human being on this lovely blue Planet. “The Times They are a Changin” and we all need to adjust to it in our own way and as we do so we must show Great Compassion to those who will struggle and fall by the wayside.
I do miss going overseas to visit Fes. Morocco for the Sacred music festival held annually in May-June, after which hopping off to Romania. etc etc. We had planned to visit Georga in central Asia (Gurdjieff country) after Fes this year. all was put on hold because of the Red Dragon waving its tail around. Life as we know it just “stopped”. I have been attempting to be productive over this lockdown period by putting together several manuscripts of Poetry that I have written over the last 20 years. Big job. hoping to complete them over the next 6 months. I have also started a new art-work process titled “Enneagram of the Jesus Prayer” this involves constructing a large (40x40cm) drawing of an enneagram on paper, then decorate it in some meaningful symbolic way. then writing the Jesus Prayer over it and filling the page. as I do so. I try to sense. the deeper meaning of each word that I am carefully writing…….A real Meditational process on attempting to enter the state of “stillness”. I have attempted this Sojourn in the Past with little outward success. It’s the inward “stuff” that counts. I am hoping to exhibit this collection of drawings in early October 2020. along with a talk given on the process given by Dr Andrew Heslop. (fingers crossed here).
Currently I seem to be attending hospitals for scans, reports. specialists, more reports shared. hospitals for injections. blood tests. more results. more reports, acupuncture treatments for aches and pains…the joys of being 70. nobody told me it was going to be like this at age 70. but still I look very much forward to the possibility of visiting Fes and Georga next year…or the year after….fingers crossed. Though if the madman currently in charge of the USA continues to piss-off China all bets are off. yes I mean Really Off.
A wet day in Sydney town today. Tomorrow the “Sun” will be shining and all the shit of the previous day will be gone….Life is like a roller coaster ride. just enjoy every moment while you can. and share your experience with others of like mind.
Lots more to share and say but the dullness of the day is suppressing the thought sharing process…………
AS the great plague of the century unfolds all around us —Glimmers of Hope- keep appearing around me. Some in the form of the Jewish feast of Passover with the extended family. always enjoyable, predictable, and funny. And we get to eat yummy food. And yes it comes around every year and is always very special to me. Then there was a great Facetime session with our Fessie friends Jo & Mladen. We were to have dinner with them last night !! No, no contact in this temporary new World order. but a Great chat about our current time-The new life we are all leading at the moment. Then I entered the world of “ZOOM” Thank god Susi helped me here. A great discussion -meeting led by Manager of the Swedenborg centre in Sydney. Joe-V. The topic was on the processes of spiritual correspondences. The book we used was by Dr Groves. titled “Journey through the World of Symbol” pub- in 2011. if you can get hold of a copy of this book. now out of print, You will be in awe of its contents. but we managed to read the chapter on correspondence and share insights we gained along the way. Big thank to you Joe for organising this “ZOOM” event.
My next great unfoldment was The very sacred Oral Transmission of the teaching of the Great healing goddess of tibet called “Goddess Parnashavari”. She is the great healer-protector of plagues. Again another “ZOOM” event. The teaching of this Goddess of healing was delivered by Lama Chodak who is based in Canberra. Australia. I have known Lama personally for over 30 years. He is a Lama with a big heart. one full of great Compassion and deep spiritual knowledge and shares his all with those who are on the Path. This oral transmission of the healing -teachings of the tibetan Goddess Parnashavari is very timely. Those who have taken this great Goddess healing blessing can share the essence of it into their local community hopefully touching all who are in need. A very Great blessing I feel shared. From the great teacher of Buddhism. Lama Chodak. we are very grateful for this blessing.
Next, I led today a very special “Absent Healing” session. this lasted around 1hr. and was based upon placing a very lovely image of Christ in ones chest. starting the chanting of the lovely “Prayer of the Heart” the Jesus prayer over and over. As this was being chanted one visualised a beautiful Rose coloured healing energy flowing out of the chest of this sacred image into the surrounding community. & beyond. Hopefully touching those in need of healing. This being the first of several lovely healing processes that will unfold on a monthly basis over the next seven months. I do feel very privileged to have been a part of these processes this week. Wow. What’s going to happen next week…..hoping that this process just keep coming.
A few Photos & FB video of Lama Chodak’s Oral Transmission of the goddess Parnashavari teaching. Enjoy. Can’t load the FB video. sorry, check it out on FB.
Life, Wow things are moving so fast. The whole World has been tossed on its head and is now in a total state of toilet paper fog, Not sure of the outcome.. perhaps a little like a lotto dream win. We humans need a dream to focus upon or else the buffers start to fall apart. Strange even the usual dooms day wacko’s are not out there stretching their lungs for those who listen to those who are caught up in the sleep state…This is a worry in it self. when the wacko’s are quite we are possibly in trouble . Even the Global warming movement is quite, Anybody see or hear the words “Global warming” in the news or on Tv over the last three weeks…Not a mention. Perhaps its our Home, the Blue Planet saying , Well. I was warning you with the Global Warming of a possible outcome for the human race…No you took no notice so now lets see how you cope with the “Red Plague”. Food for thought.
Over the last few days after much consideration I have put-off till a later date several events at the Swedenborg centre and other venues. But when conditions get back to what could be normal. These processes will unfold. this I am sure of…Perhaps I am an optimist after. Wow things are looking good already.
Today I was invited to install a wonderful little totem installation at Steph Robertson’s wonderful magic garden in Pennant-Hills, Sydney, as part of the “Virtual Sydney Edible Garden Trail…( It became virtual after the Red Plague started to scare the daisy’s out of the community)…I do feel very privileged to be part of this Sydney event. Its giving colour and joy to people who are stuck at home in these turbulent times. And don’t we need lots of Joy and colour at the moment. We sure do. I am hoping to be involved with several “virtual-events” over the troubled times ahead. These will keep me occupied and I can share and be of “use” in our ever changing global community.
Stay safe, stay cool and help your neighbour. Remember we are all connected. we are all one phylum.
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