Alchemy and the rejected parts of yourself
Episode 14 - Alchemy, the Chimaera and the music of Silent Hill.
Hey,
I’ve been gathering more wood. Look how it burns in the flames, how it transforms and shifts its form.
Transformation is Alchemy, and the other way around. And by Alchemy here I don’t mean the mixing around of substances as is usually misinterpreted, but I mean it the same way that Jung meant it: as a transformation of the mind. Of the Psyche. Of the Soul.
I personally believe there’s nothing more meaningful to do in a human lifetime than this. To perform the alchemical process on yourself is to seek conscious transformation. If you don’t, life will do it to you through those ‘events’ and ‘outside happenings’ which seem completely random, chaotic and outside of your control.
But to seek inner alchemy will, with some work and help, completely re-contextualise both yourself, the outside world, and everything you’ve ever known. This is the Evolution of Consciousness, the so-called ‘Magnum Opus’ (The Great Work).
It is my intention to achieve this and hope that it may prove useful to others along the path, through my written work, personal discoveries and, especially, through art.
The Chimaera
I’ve spoken at length about Symbols and their importance. When you will begin your inner work, you may notice, hopefully without panicking, that you are not an individual being. While the ego likes to believe this, your individuality is merely an illusion: you are not One entity.
You are, in fact, an amalgamation of various parts. You can label these ‘instincts’ or ‘unconscious processes’ or ‘inner child’ or whatever. The point is that these various different parts of your psyche want different things, act in ways you sometimes won’t like or approve of, and seem to have their own agendas.
You know this. It’s not news. Because sometimes you will do or say things without you knowing why. Sometimes you will take action without conscious input. And worst of all are the RE-actions. The things that make you cry with profound grief or laugh out loud are entirely outside of your awareness. They happen. You don’t decide when or how.
You are, therefore, a sort of Chimaera: a mix of human and animal. Your sexual impulses will often drown out any logical, rational mind you’re so proud of. And your emotions dictate your desires. And your desires? Look at them closely and you’ll see fears lurking underneath. Not only you want something, but simultaneously you don’t want something else. You’re running in one direction while escaping some other.
It was my intention to represent this process through my work here. The Chimaera is inspired by Gustave Moreau’s work of the same name from 1867. The symbol is this: only by embracing the whole (or integrating all the various parts of our psyche) can we take flight into the future. But if this integration process goes wrong… well, let’s just say that cliff is tall and we’re not sure what’s down below.
This artwork is part of the Classical Rebirth Collection, which is one of my most important collections, featuring re-imaginings and resurrections of classical art. The intention was to bring back the majesty I personally saw in this style of art to a modern, contemporary eye.
Naturally, you can also own The Chimaera and, simultaneously, support my work. While the art is produced digitally, I take utmost care to give birth to it in physical form, choosing special canvas-like paper for the print. I care about creating an object of particular worth and quality, which is why I sign, number and frame them. This means all copies are unique. Find it below:
Art Spotlight: Akira Yamaoka
Some of you may have heard of him, especially fans of the Silent Hill series. This is a superbly fascinating series of videogames exploring themes of psychological horror, trauma and loss. The series has produced a few live-action movies too, and more recently it has released a remake of the second title, to great success.
These games are awesome. The atmosphere, stories and themes are some of the most powerful I’ve come across, and they really shine when given life through horror. They have, in fact, profoundly influenced my own stories, especially in my next book ‘Dreamwalker’. Silent Hill often feels dream-like on purpose, achieving that uncanny effect.
You never really know if what’s happening is real or not, and often it’s about a journey into broken minds. Silent Hill is, in fact, some kind of dimension that brings nightmares, trauma and darkness to life.
Akira Yamaoka is the main composer, famous for bringing these worlds to life through music. There’s something… incredibly unique about his style. He perfectly merges calmness, serenity, melancholy and dread together to create something haunting, yet simultaneously unique and relaxing.
Some highlights for me are:
A Stray Child (I listen to this one a lot - probably one of my favourites)
Hometown (fantastic main theme)
Room of Angel (this one is truly haunting and has powerful lyrics crossing the threshold between dreams and reality)
Letter from the Lost Days (‘Hey there to my future self, if you forget how to smile, I have this to tell you: remember it once in a while. Ten years ago your past self prayed for your happiness.’)
Train Ride to Nowhere (this is NOT part of any soundtrack, but a wonderful, superbly relaxing mix produced by Midwich Music and inspired by this series. I have relaxed, meditated and reflected on this track and it’s seriously incredible work. HIGHLY recommended)
More to come. Stay tuned.
Blessings,
