"Never ask for your way from someone who knows it, because you won't get lost." Rabbi Nahman from Braslav
The first trigger was undoubtedly the wonder of a teenager, when he was developing his silver photos. The images would gradually take shape under a dim red light and then disappear to reappear in a sepia tone. He had to put up with the smell of sulphide as a counterpart to this little magic.
Film was replaced by digital and the magic worked through increasingly powerful software. Different creations, but still so exciting. The gesture of dipping photo papers in baths, the fact of respecting concentrations, temperatures and durations, were no longer there. Using light to capture a reality and transform it into an impression frozen in time, which in the end became timeless, remained a goal. Chemistry as the next step was a logical consequence.
Other energies were grafted onto light to complement those natural frequencies that surround us and are not perceptible at first sight: geobiology, the impact of the visual on our perception and state of consciousness, the symbolism of numbers and sacred geometries. The work on oneself has become a transmutation of energies in a search for purity of light, of transparency. Discovering hidden things through personal work.
The door to a spiritual awakening has been opened, showing the missing link to alchemy. The exit from the matrix requires will and perseverance. I chose the symbolism of the Hebrew letter zayin, evoking by its power and discernment the path of perseverance. It symbolises the inner struggle, the clash of oppositions; it forces us to take responsibility for ourselves. A constant tension between man and his values. So many values necessary to keep the direction and to walk straight on my life path...
"It is not by looking at the light that one becomes luminous, but by diving into its darkness." Karl Gustav Jung
The present is the past of the future. Fixing our thoughts on the past or the future takes us away from the precious moments of the present. To find the balance between soul, spirit and body is to work on sulphur, mercury and salt, light and matter, in the alchemical view. Allowing the emotions to be released and letting the light pierce the obstacle. A single match is enough to make the darkness disappear.
We are part of this Earth and are sensitive to its vibration, although it is not directly perceptible. Being able to feel this vibration and to resonate with it provides a feeling that keeps us in balance and promotes our physical and mental health.
Sitting by the sea, on a cliff facing the wind, letting yourself be whipped with a mixture of air, water and salt, we find the three alchemical principles. Closing one's eyes and abandoning all thought by concentrating only on one's breath leads to a feeling of unity, so natural, but also so often rejected. Division and segregation, if treated with kindness, should come together to form this unity. All that is above is also below and all that is below is also above.
Joy is a field of consciousness
"When a man walks towards his destiny, he is often forced to change direction." Paulo Coelho - La Cinquième Montagne
Take a step along the path
There are times when you feel like leaving, just for a moment, to clear your head and create space for something else. With his pack on his back, his walking shoes on, leaning on his stick, the pilgrim moves quickly forward. He scans the horizon, moving forward to the rhythm of his steps, cadenced by the regular clacking of his stick: ‘Ta-ta-tataa’. As he walks, his thoughts fade, leaving his head empty. Nature abhors a vacuum. Soon, that emptiness is filled with feelings captured by all the senses: the colours of the fields, the scent of the flowers, the chirping of the birds and the whisper of the breeze in the trees. Peace settles in. A sense of well-being fills the body, accentuating the desire to move forward.
Walking for several days, whether on the path of introspection or pilgrimage, happens every day. As I lift my feet, leaning on my stick, I let my five senses take in all the beauty. I breathe deeply of the morning air, waiting impatiently for the cuckoo to emit its characteristic melody, just as it has done every day up to now. The sun's rays pierce the curtain of tree branches and reflect off the puddles on the path. Nature and I, duality melting into unity.
To take a break, I stop and take off my shoes. I place my feet on the ground and savour the feel of the soft, fresh grass. I take a few steps towards a stream bed. I sink into the wet sand and stop when the water runs over my ankles. The cold sensation makes me forget the miles I've covered since the morning. I revel in these peaceful moments.
‘Happiness comes to those who have conquered their fear of life and see their life as a sacred spark in the continuity of the ages’. Tibetan precept of life