南池子nanchizi Garden, Beijing In China

Classic Polish movie posters - TAKSÓWKARZ (Taxi Driver) Directed by: Martin Scorsese (1976)

Art by Camille Andre

Joris Hoefnagel (Flemish / Hungarian, 1542 - 1600) and Georg Bocskay (Hungarian, died 1575)

Mira calligraphiae monumenta, 1561-1596

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Arthur Avalon - The Nadis, “The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga”, 1919. The Nadis, often alluded to as “rivers” in the poetry of scripture, like real rivers, course towards an ocean, and have tributaries branching off in other directions. In the above diagram we have the solar and lunar (Pingala and Ida) nadi that converge in the brow chakra at the level of the astral body, and through the right and left nostril at the level of the physical body. Within the physical spinal cord there are, as Paramahansa Yogananda taught, three astral nadis, the finer one, less perceptible ones, within the grosser ones, from Sushumna to Vajra to Chitrini. The Sushumna begins at the base of the spine, (probably GV1 Krittika). The Vajra begins with Kundalini’s awakening out of the Kanda chakra (probably GV2 Rohini). The Chitrini Nadi begins somewhere in the Navel chakra. Leaving the physical chakras now in the Hrit chakra of between Heart and Navel the Brahmanadi begins where the Soul begins to access its causal body (probably GV8 Magha). All three are connect to the Brow chakra.  From root to brow chakras Kundalini moves upward in a spiralling serpentine motion because it is accessing so many Nadis and we can control her using Prana at this stage so Ida and Pingala are involved. There is a back and forth between Ida and Pingala as she ascends the Sushumna like an electric current responding to positive and negative currents.  Once she reaches the brow and the Soul, now identified with Kundalini, the Guide or Guru within, in the sincere seeker now seeks union with the collective “I” or Siva/Consciousness differentiated and even beyond to transcendence, Siva/Consciousness undifferentiated. Now the waves of mind (Vrittis) need to stop in order to transcend that astral space and enter the causal. At this stage, as at any stage of spiritual advancement, the Soul needs grace. It doesn’t just happen by force or will alone. The heart needs to be into it, devotional practice changes the Soul’s vibration. In fact all the chakras need to be purified. Just as one takes off ones dirty shoes before entering a Hindu temple, then by grace, Kundalini (the purified Soul) casts off the astral/active mind and can enter in one movement the innermost sanctum of Brahama Nadi experiencing the silence of the causal field. This is where the aspirant begins to feel the Crown chakra. The journey is not complete until Kundalini has pierced the Brahmarandhra chakra and entered into the Crown chakra.

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Harry Clarke (Irish, 1889-1931)

Illustrations for Goethe’s Faust, Bayard Taylor translation, 1925

DANCE & KNIGHT by terry wei

A couple of 6x4 inch sketches.