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Thursday 30 May 2013

The Ecstatic Dionysus-Jim Morrison:Archetypal image of The Indestructible life!

Understanding The Apollonian and Dionysian Dichotomy.


The concept of The Apollonian and The Dionysian Dichotomy is  essentially a literary and philosophical concept etymologized  on Ancient mythology. The figures of Apollo and Dionysus, are the two sons of Zeus ( the king of gods ) symbolical of the binary states of existence, their inter dependence and the perfect harmonical balance between the two forces.  Polarity of the Apollonian force of reason, strength, Solar valour, courage, modesty and value restraint contrasting to the Dionysian force invoking  wine, ecstasy, intoxication, ostentatiousness and excesses are not contradictory or opposing to each other but are entwined or inter-laced in nature. Apollo and Dionysus are the two complementing sides of a coin.


Jim Morrison while still early  in his teens, had discovered Neitzsche's The Birth Of Tragedy and remained highly influenced by The Dionysian Man as his own self reflective nature.

Alongwith, Neitzsche's The Birth Of Tragedy, Jim also read Colin Wilson's Outsider, Hamiltons' s Mythology, John Campbells The Hero with  a thousand faces , Norman O Brown's Life against Death, W.F. Otto's Dionysos, Jane Harrison's Prelogomena to the study of Greek religion .


Neitzsche's The Birth Of  Tragedy (1872)



Neitzsche uses the aesthetic Greek mythological concepts on the premise of kunsttrieben (Or artistic impulses) that rise from the fusion of The Apollonian and The Dionysian energies giving birth to tragedies and dramatic arts. In his work, the interdependent relationship  of The Apollonian and The Dionysian juxtaposition is apparent, as he claims in the interplay  to Greek tragedies where the tragic hero struggling to make order (Apollonian) of  his unjust chaotic (Dionysian)  Fate succumbs unfulfilled in the end, referring to the character of Shakespeare's Hamlet as the true embodiment of The Dionysian Man who seeks to conquer the nausea of the absurd or the real in the dual and the Eternal quest to be or not to be.



The Neitzschean tragedy claims to sense the underlying essence or The Primordial Unity which revives the Dionysian nature and  which is indescribably pleasurable, this overarching theme was a metaphysical solace and connecting to the heart of the creation. According to Neitzsche, the critical distance or separation between man and his Primordial Self grew farther originating in the Apollonian ideals of law and restraint leading to self alienation of his innermost essence of the Spirit. Whereas, the Dionysian force magnifies man as it embraces all chaotic experience onto itself re-discovering the Cosmos in Chaos entangled with the Apollonian harmony that discovered while under the god-like union of the Dionysian experience.

Alike, Neitzsche Jim Morrison identified himself as the Messiah or The Cross bearer , Mystic Christ , Shaman (as the one who's true to his own phantasies) or The Greek Lord Dionysus-the one who suffers the primordial pain to purge the land and his people referring to the Cathartic evolution of mankind through intoxication,  ritual madness, invocations and union with the primeval Self. As he asserts -

to transcend the body's limitation, you have to immerse yourself in it
I am a guide to the labyrinth.
The Lords have secret entrances, they know disguises. But they give themselves away in minor ways . Too much glint of light in the eye.  Staring into the hollow idol's eyes.
The night like  a vast conspiracy to dream .But gradually special perceptions are being developed.
The idea of the lords is beginning to form in some minds.
The Lords. Events take place beyond our knowledge or control.
Our lives are lived  for us.
Fear the Lords who are secret among us .
The Lords are within us.
Enter the sweet forest
Enter the hot dream
Where are my dreamers
Today Tonight
Translation s of the Divine in all language s
The new dreamer will sing to the mind w/thoughts unclutched by speech
The End of the dream will be when it matters
All things lie
Buddha will forgive me
Buddha will.




Friday 24 May 2013

Self proclamation of the Ouroboros incarnate Jim Morrison: I am The Lizard King ! I can do anything !

Understanding Myths and Jim Morrison

"Old men worship w/long 
noses, old soulful eyes.......
Lost in the vanity of the senses which got us where we are......
Better to be cool in our worship &  
gain respect of the
ancient & wise wearing
those robes . They know
the secret of mind-change
reality."
                         -Jim Morrison   
Ouroboros,  Monalisa 2012


Celtic Paganism, Shamanism and Ancient Greek Myths were always an integral symbolism of Jim Morrison's poetry, lyric verses and songs. Being highly influenced  by Native American Indians - their ritual fire dances, ancient Shamans, wild forests, rattle-snakes, lizards, sacrificial offerings, blood, anointment, Shamanistic mantras, sacred hymns and chants, screams and scr of baffled drums, the tribal woodthrush- enchanted Morrison's Exotic Indian love .
All The above stated imageries are frequently recurred in his poetic or lyrics verses like" Scour the mind w/diamond brushes. Cleanse into Mandalas. Memory keeps us warm and wicked. The Time temple. Who'll go first?"


Jim Morrison As The Lizard King

                 
"Sirens
Water
Rain & Thunder......
Hot insect cry
The frogs & crickets
Doors open & close.....
Rustle of silk, nylon
Watering the dry glass
Fire
Bells
Rattlesnakes, whistles, castanets.......
Good Humor man"
                              
 Along with references to songs like The End:

"Ride the snake,
Ride the snake,
To the lake, the ancient lake. 
The snake is long seven miles.
Ride the snake,
He's old, and his skin is cold."


The Eternal snake , Monalisa


An American Prayer

"Let's reinvent the gods,  all the myths of the ages
Celebrate symbols from deep elder forests"

Morrison's references to The Eternal snake Ouroboros is quite evident in The End. Ouroboros or Uroborus is an ancient Gnostic symbol of a serpent or a dragon eating its own tail representing self  destruction and recreation, the cycle of eternal return or symbolical to the resurrection of the Phoenix from its ashes . Ouroboros is archetypal of the cosmic tree of life, was known to appear in The Enigmatic book of the Netherworld an Ancient Eygptian funerary text in the 14th century B.C. the text concerns the actions of the Sun God Ra and his union with Osiris in the Underworld. Like Eygptian Serpent deities, it displays the formless disorder surrounding the orderly world and is involved in the periodic renewal of that world.  In the Roman times, it appeared in magical talismans, sometimes in combination with other magical emblems. Latin commentator Servius noted in the 4th century B.C. that Ouroboros represented the cyclical nature of year along with Greek philosopher Plato who considered a self-eating circular being as the first living thing in the universe an immortal mythologically constructed entity. In alchemy, Ouroboros is a Sigil, Swiss philosopher Carl Jung saw ot as an archetype a basic mandala of alchemy can also be traced in many of Morrison's poetic lines such as Forest strong sandals....... burnt geometric fingers........ a hundred hued mandala for you and for me........Fence my sacred fire.


Eygptian inscriptions depicting Ouroboros
The Enigmatic book of the Netherworld


There's Blood in the streets:

"Blood will be born
       in the  birth of a Nation
Blood is the rose of mysterious union."

Morrison was much influence after reading Sir James Frazer's The Golden Bough and the shared elements of religious  belief , discussing fertility rite, human sacrifice, the dying god, the scapegoat and the worship and periodic sacrifice of, a sacred king (or the myth of The Fisher king) where blood played an important offering for the catharsis of the soul for the sacrificial renewal of life . The use of blood as a purification symbol of evolution and purging of the land was the prime objective of Morrison's poetic consciousness.

Q5PVQMH6U8THThe Soft Parade:

"The soft parade has now begun
People out to have some fun
A cobra on my left
                       A leopard on my right
The deer woman in a silk dress
Girls w/beads around their necks
Kiss the hunter of the green vest
Who has wrestled before
                        W/lions in the night"


The references to King Cobra the king of snakes attributes to Morrison's love for the wild tribes residing amidst leopards and lions. The Girls w/beads are the Exotic Native American tribal girls wearing wooden beads or animal hides sketching the wilderness of tribal life.

                             
                                 " You cannot petition the Lord with prayer!
                                   Can you give me sanctuary 
                                    I must find a place to hide .....
                                    I can't make it anymore
                                    The Man is at the door."


  Hope you feel the connect till next time when I introduce to the Other aspect of Jim Morrison unknown .
View next post on The Ecstatic Dionysus- Jim Morrison.

Sunday 19 May 2013

About me and Psychedelic Sutra.

About me
I am Monalisa Morrison, an ex-student of films, painter, writer with research interests in creative projects involving art/music/philosophy/spirituality. Have recently studied modern and post-modern philosophy and classical Greek mythology.
                                                 M. Morrison



Understanding Psychedelia
                                   Jim Morrison : The Reptilian
                                    Lord of The Yung-Drung
                                                  Gutseg

First of all, let me introduce to all -what is Psychedelia all about?
Now let us divide its periphery into 6 aspects or the 6 sutras according to me:

  1. Music
  2. Lifestyle
  3. Art
  4. Poetry
  5. Cosmology, Fashion and Healing
  6. Myth and Spirituality

1. Music- categorically Psychedelic Rock is the first Sutra. In the mid 1960s the Anti-establishment movement spurred by the principles of Anti-foundationalism initiated much earlier by the Post-Enlightenment  philosophers like Neitzsche and the radical  French existentialists, subsequently much later echoed by many Critical theorists and Pragmatics along with poets and authors alike the beatniks and the hippies divulged into Psychoactive drugs like LSD, marijuana or cannabis which seemed to cause the heightened state of the Psyche or enhanced one's creative abilities giving birth to the greatest transcendental music ever.This genre of rock music spread like wildfire swooning millions in the effects of trance addictiveness and spiritual hallucinogens, bands like The Doors, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd,  The Beatles and Jefferson Airplane composed many Psychedelic tracks during the era, which continue as a rage all over the globe among its lovers.
                                 The Piper at the gates of dawn
                                         Pink Floyd 1968

My suggestions-if you are completely unaware or novice about Psychedelic rock then listen to When the music's over (The Doors ), Astronomy Domine (Pink Floyd), Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (The Beatles) and The White Rabbit song (Jefferson Airplane). I hope you will get the feel of it.


2.Lifestyle- the second and much hyped sutra would undoubtedly be the Psychedelic lifestyle- drugs, sex and hysteria are the three words to describe it the best, but ironically due to media portrayal people misinterpret the spiritual conscience working at the subdued level.The goal of leading a Psychedelic life is best served at the fulfilment of its motto- Holistic, evolution of the spiritual consciousness through the heightened sense of creativity.
My suggestions- if you are unaware of the Psychedelic lifestyle, suggested readings would be the Hippie movement and Zen Buddhism.
                                              Bob Masse art


3. Art- Psychedelic art is much synonymous with Psychedelic music, being an unconventional genre it exercises the creative freedom and liberal fervour of experimentation -the third sutra of Psychedelia.This genre of art mainly comprises of geometric flower patterns stroked with bold bright fluorescent colours such as vibrant shades of shades green, pinks, blues, purples and yellows with tinge and hints of oranges and reds. They are believed to be experienced under drug or hallucinogen influence or during spiritual meditation or revelations.
My suggestions- search for psychedelic art and mandalas


4.Poetry- Psychedelic poetry can be traced to the works of Charles Baudelaire and his essay on the effects of various drugs (Les Paradis Artificiels), the beat poets like Allen Ginsberg or the poetry of The Doors lead singer songwriter Jim Morrison's published and recorded tapes in sessions.
My suggestions- read the poems of Baudelaire and Jim Morrison easily available on web.


5.Cosmology,  Fashion and healing- Psychedelia is known to posses exclusive paranormal healing properties that can not only elevate one's creative instincts but also help in reducing stress levels, help in relaxation, rejuvenation of the mind and emotive sensations. Psychedelia can be also attributed to the pranic energy of the celestial bodies like the cosmological vibrations of the stars, sun, moon and the orbitals. Since the outer space is constructed on the principles of geometric precision, it can be
much co relative to Psychedelia. Wearing stones and beaded necklaces of Lapis Lazuli, ametheyst, amber, emeralds along rudrakhas, sandalwood, turquoise can be a fashion stament and a healing agent.
My suggestions- try wearing semi-precious stones to feel the vibratory sensations and make them a part of your daily apparel.
                                               Lapis Lazuli

6.Myths and Spirituality: lastly, the encapsulating mother sutra of Psychedelia is the all conclusive arena of mythology and spirituality
                   "  Have you ever been borne yet &are you alive?
                     Let's reinvent the gods, all the myths of the ages."

                                               -Jim Morrison (An American Prayer)

                            Mahavatar Babaji the Ageless Saint
     
The dream of the 60s Psychedelic movement was to visualize a world without any boundaries, limitations and discriminations-the concept of One World, One law and Freedom for all as the penultimate spiritual achievement mankind moving towards the Eternal Light or the Yogic light. Spiritual gurus like Mahavatar Babaji and Lahiri Mahasaya were adored by many like George Harrison devoted songs for his affection to the Lord krishna-Radha and became an advent member of the iSKCON in the 70s.
Mythical references such as the vegetative cycle of the Eternal snake Ourbouros was used by Jim Morrison in his many Psychedelic lyrics referring to the Celebration of the Lizard Along the sacred fire rituals of Celtic Paganism and his prophetic verses as the Shamanistic power of rock n roll.




I gladly hope my introduction familiarizes you with the Strange World of Psychedelia as I continue to publish my own ideation and experiences on the above lines........