1. "Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets"; Blake quoted this verse at the end of the Preface to Milton. (It was quoted from (Numbers 11:29).)
This is very close to Blake's primary purpose. What
did Blake mean by 'prophet': a person who has a vision
and who shares it.
2. "What it will be Questiond When the Sun rises do you not see a round Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea O no no I see an Innumerable company of the Heavenly host crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Vision of the Last Judgment E566)
Now what in the world does this mean? Read the
things: not the corporeal, but the visionary.
The Task of Los is to "transform the round glob into living forms." (Erdman)
3. Look also at the end of Marriage of Heaven and Hell:
"Everything that lives is holy". How do you read that?
I think by holy he means the visionary, the Beyond
accompaniment or source of everything material -- such
as the sun.
Look at what immediately follows the 'Holy,Holy,Holy
passage:
"I question not my Corporeal or Vegetative Eye any
more than I would Question a Window concerning a
Sight; I look thro it & not with it."
As Above, so Below Hermeticism? you bet. Actually
the idea goes way, way back in Greek thought.
4. Here's another indicator of Blake's purpose. In his
visionary meeting with Ezekiel he asked the old prophet
why he did certain very extravagant things: Ezekiel's
answer (and Blake's) was "the desire of raising other
men into a perception of the infinite;"
So we may think materially (with the 'Vegetative Eye'),
or we may envision. These are the two contraries!
What is your vision?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Blake's Purpose
1. "Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets"; Blake quoted this verse at the end of the Preface to Milton. (It was quoted from (Numbers 11:29).)
This is very close to Blake's primary purpose. What
did Blake mean by 'prophet': a person who has a vision
and who shares it.
2. "What it will be Questiond When the Sun rises do you not see a round Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea O no no I see an Innumerable company of the Heavenly host crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Vision of the Last Judgment E566)
Now what in the world does this mean? Read the
things: not the corporeal, but the visionary.
The Task of Los is to "transform the round glob into living forms." (Erdman)
3. Look also at the end of Marriage of Heaven and Hell:
"Everything that lives is holy". How do you read that?
I think by holy he means the visionary, the Beyond
accompaniment or source of everything material -- such
as the sun.
Look at what immediately follows the 'Holy,Holy,Holy
passage:
"I question not my Corporeal or Vegetative Eye any
more than I would Question a Window concerning a
Sight; I look thro it & not with it."
As Above, so Below Hermeticism? you bet. Actually
the idea goes way, way back in Greek thought.
4. Here's another indicator of Blake's purpose. In his
visionary meeting with Ezekiel he asked the old prophet
why he did certain very extravagant things: Ezekiel's
answer (and Blake's) was "the desire of raising other
men into a perception of the infinite;"
So we may think materially (with the 'Vegetative Eye'),
or we may envision. These are the two contraries!
What is your vision?
This is very close to Blake's primary purpose. What
did Blake mean by 'prophet': a person who has a vision
and who shares it.
2. "What it will be Questiond When the Sun rises do you not see a round Disk of fire somewhat like a Guinea O no no I see an Innumerable company of the Heavenly host crying Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty" (Vision of the Last Judgment E566)
Now what in the world does this mean? Read the
things: not the corporeal, but the visionary.
The Task of Los is to "transform the round glob into living forms." (Erdman)
3. Look also at the end of Marriage of Heaven and Hell:
"Everything that lives is holy". How do you read that?
I think by holy he means the visionary, the Beyond
accompaniment or source of everything material -- such
as the sun.
Look at what immediately follows the 'Holy,Holy,Holy
passage:
"I question not my Corporeal or Vegetative Eye any
more than I would Question a Window concerning a
Sight; I look thro it & not with it."
As Above, so Below Hermeticism? you bet. Actually
the idea goes way, way back in Greek thought.
4. Here's another indicator of Blake's purpose. In his
visionary meeting with Ezekiel he asked the old prophet
why he did certain very extravagant things: Ezekiel's
answer (and Blake's) was "the desire of raising other
men into a perception of the infinite;"
So we may think materially (with the 'Vegetative Eye'),
or we may envision. These are the two contraries!
What is your vision?
Monday, October 5, 2009
4Z's PICTURED
Click on this link: Image of the Four Zoas
This rare image of the Four Zoas together appears in the First Book of Urizen.
Blake pictures the four Eternals peering down in the unfinished world of Urizen as it divides, falling into the abyss. Most of the copies of this plate display only three of the Zoas. In Blake's characteristic way of allowing imagination to lead him as he creates his images, he has added the fourth Zoa, Tharmas to the other three in this late copy. You can compare six versions of the Book of Urizen, each distinctive, in the Blake Archive. 4Z'S in 6 Copies, Click here
Blake's characters have different appearances as they are represented at different levels of existence in his myth. Here they are represented at the level of the Eternals; although no physical representation at that spiritual level can be anything more than limited and false.
Nevertheless, we see Urizen on the right, looking down at his own fallen nature as it disintegrates in separation. His beard drags in the water of matter which is created as a result of his fall. Why is he old? Because he is conservatism which must always be replaced by the new and fresh.
Beside Urizen is Los, forever young, who joins Urizen in the descent in order to be the agent of the eventual return. Suggested by the fingers of Los touching the liquid below as if paint or ink were dripping from his hand, is an intimation of the role of imagination in the regeneration process
Next to the young Los, is another older gentleman, Luvah, who as the emotions, is a level early in physic development. Luvah becomes intimately involved in the struggle to limit the downward fall of Urizen and reverse the division in Albion. At various points Luvah works with or competes with Urizen or Los, but his service is to Jesus.
The Zoa who is missing in most of the images, Tharmas, is pictured as no more than a boy. The contradiction in the character Tharmas is that he is both the 'Parent Power' and the last to be named. Mary Lynn Johnson describes him as "innocence, instinct, the binding force of the human personality, and the body." (p. 206) Perhaps he is closer to the id than any other of the Zoas, and so closer to the child.
On the engraved plate, words and image work together to involve us in the fall - from the perspective of Eternity.
This rare image of the Four Zoas together appears in the First Book of Urizen.
Blake pictures the four Eternals peering down in the unfinished world of Urizen as it divides, falling into the abyss. Most of the copies of this plate display only three of the Zoas. In Blake's characteristic way of allowing imagination to lead him as he creates his images, he has added the fourth Zoa, Tharmas to the other three in this late copy. You can compare six versions of the Book of Urizen, each distinctive, in the Blake Archive. 4Z'S in 6 Copies, Click here
Blake's characters have different appearances as they are represented at different levels of existence in his myth. Here they are represented at the level of the Eternals; although no physical representation at that spiritual level can be anything more than limited and false.
Nevertheless, we see Urizen on the right, looking down at his own fallen nature as it disintegrates in separation. His beard drags in the water of matter which is created as a result of his fall. Why is he old? Because he is conservatism which must always be replaced by the new and fresh.
Beside Urizen is Los, forever young, who joins Urizen in the descent in order to be the agent of the eventual return. Suggested by the fingers of Los touching the liquid below as if paint or ink were dripping from his hand, is an intimation of the role of imagination in the regeneration process
Next to the young Los, is another older gentleman, Luvah, who as the emotions, is a level early in physic development. Luvah becomes intimately involved in the struggle to limit the downward fall of Urizen and reverse the division in Albion. At various points Luvah works with or competes with Urizen or Los, but his service is to Jesus.
The Zoa who is missing in most of the images, Tharmas, is pictured as no more than a boy. The contradiction in the character Tharmas is that he is both the 'Parent Power' and the last to be named. Mary Lynn Johnson describes him as "innocence, instinct, the binding force of the human personality, and the body." (p. 206) Perhaps he is closer to the id than any other of the Zoas, and so closer to the child.
On the engraved plate, words and image work together to involve us in the fall - from the perspective of Eternity.
PLATE 15 of The Book of Urizen
"Thus the Eternal Prophet was divided
Before the death-image of Urizen
For in changeable clouds and darkness
In a winterly night beneath,
The Abyss of Los stretch'd immense:
And now seen, now obscur'd, to the eyes
Of Eternals, the visions remote
Of the dark seperation appear'd.
As glasses discover Worlds
In the endless Abyss of space,
So the expanding eyes of Immortals
Beheld the dark visions of Los,
And the globe of life blood trembling"
4Z's PICTURED
Click on this link: Image of the Four Zoas
This rare image of the Four Zoas together appears in the First Book of Urizen.
Blake pictures the four Eternals peering down in the unfinished world of Urizen as it divides, falling into the abyss. Most of the copies of this plate display only three of the Zoas. In Blake's characteristic way of allowing imagination to lead him as he creates his images, he has added the fourth Zoa, Tharmas to the other three in this late copy. You can compare six versions of the Book of Urizen, each distinctive, in the Blake Archive. 4Z'S in 6 Copies, Click here
Blake's characters have different appearances as they are represented at different levels of existence in his myth. Here they are represented at the level of the Eternals; although no physical representation at that spiritual level can be anything more than limited and false.
Nevertheless, we see Urizen on the right, looking down at his own fallen nature as it disintegrates in separation. His beard drags in the water of matter which is created as a result of his fall. Why is he old? Because he is conservatism which must always be replaced by the new and fresh.
Beside Urizen is Los, forever young, who joins Urizen in the descent in order to be the agent of the eventual return. Suggested by the fingers of Los touching the liquid below as if paint or ink were dripping from his hand, is an intimation of the role of imagination in the regeneration process
Next to the young Los, is another older gentleman, Luvah, who as the emotions, is a level early in physic development. Luvah becomes intimately involved in the struggle to limit the downward fall of Urizen and reverse the division in Albion. At various points Luvah works with or competes with Urizen or Los, but his service is to Jesus.
The Zoa who is missing in most of the images, Tharmas, is pictured as no more than a boy. The contradiction in the character Tharmas is that he is both the 'Parent Power' and the last to be named. Mary Lynn Johnson describes him as "innocence, instinct, the binding force of the human personality, and the body." (p. 206) Perhaps he is closer to the id than any other of the Zoas, and so closer to the child.
On the engraved plate, words and image work together to involve us in the fall - from the perspective of Eternity.
This rare image of the Four Zoas together appears in the First Book of Urizen.
Blake pictures the four Eternals peering down in the unfinished world of Urizen as it divides, falling into the abyss. Most of the copies of this plate display only three of the Zoas. In Blake's characteristic way of allowing imagination to lead him as he creates his images, he has added the fourth Zoa, Tharmas to the other three in this late copy. You can compare six versions of the Book of Urizen, each distinctive, in the Blake Archive. 4Z'S in 6 Copies, Click here
Blake's characters have different appearances as they are represented at different levels of existence in his myth. Here they are represented at the level of the Eternals; although no physical representation at that spiritual level can be anything more than limited and false.
Nevertheless, we see Urizen on the right, looking down at his own fallen nature as it disintegrates in separation. His beard drags in the water of matter which is created as a result of his fall. Why is he old? Because he is conservatism which must always be replaced by the new and fresh.
Beside Urizen is Los, forever young, who joins Urizen in the descent in order to be the agent of the eventual return. Suggested by the fingers of Los touching the liquid below as if paint or ink were dripping from his hand, is an intimation of the role of imagination in the regeneration process
Next to the young Los, is another older gentleman, Luvah, who as the emotions, is a level early in physic development. Luvah becomes intimately involved in the struggle to limit the downward fall of Urizen and reverse the division in Albion. At various points Luvah works with or competes with Urizen or Los, but his service is to Jesus.
The Zoa who is missing in most of the images, Tharmas, is pictured as no more than a boy. The contradiction in the character Tharmas is that he is both the 'Parent Power' and the last to be named. Mary Lynn Johnson describes him as "innocence, instinct, the binding force of the human personality, and the body." (p. 206) Perhaps he is closer to the id than any other of the Zoas, and so closer to the child.
On the engraved plate, words and image work together to involve us in the fall - from the perspective of Eternity.
PLATE 15 of The Book of Urizen
"Thus the Eternal Prophet was divided
Before the death-image of Urizen
For in changeable clouds and darkness
In a winterly night beneath,
The Abyss of Los stretch'd immense:
And now seen, now obscur'd, to the eyes
Of Eternals, the visions remote
Of the dark seperation appear'd.
As glasses discover Worlds
In the endless Abyss of space,
So the expanding eyes of Immortals
Beheld the dark visions of Los,
And the globe of life blood trembling"
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Stones of Fire
A very prominent symbol in the Bible, 'stones' occurs
161 times in the Old and New Testaments. One that
Blake especially loved occurred in Ezekiel 28:
"13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper,
the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I
have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of
God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire."
The covering cherub! the stones of fire!
Blake may be best understood as an expander of the
Bible. He made very good use of the two symbols
mentioned above, and amplified the meanings used by
Ezekiel:
Stones of Fire appears in the Prologue
The Gates of Paradise:
"Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise
Against the Accusers chief desire
Who walkd among the Stones of Fire" (E 258)
Now what in the world does that mean??? We get a clue
from 1 Kings 18:38:
"Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust,
and licked up the water that was in the trench."
This is from the account of Elijah's contest with the
prophets of Baal.
Notice how the fire consumed the stone. We know the
fire was from God, the stone a symbol of matter: Spirit
burns up matter.
That's Blake's message in a nutshell: spirit takes the
place of matter. In our pilgrimage through life the
material is gradually superceded by the spirit (God,
Heaven).
'Stones of fire' represents a conjunction of matter and
spirit. Ezekiel was speaking of a brilliant, successful
potentate of his day, who had achieved greatly, who
would be brought down by God. One such as Lucifer,
associated by Ezekiel and by Blake with the Covering Cherub (another name for Satan or the Selfhood).
Blake's source for the Covering Cherub was Ezekiel, but Ezekiel's might have been Genesis 3:
23:"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Blake had this to say about the Covering Cherub:
"The cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at tree of life, and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed, and appear infinite, and holy whereas it now appears finite & corrupt" (Marriage of Heaven and Hell, plate 14). This shows what Blake thought of the biblical story of the Fall. In his myth the Fall occurs when man is kicked out of Eden (or just falls asleep), but so does the Return.
In all versions of Blake's myth the end of the story is a happy event; the literary heads might call it a Romance rather than a Tragedy.
There's a great deal more to be said about the story of the Fall, especially about the Tree of Good and Evil; I'll tell you more about the Tree if you encourage me,
161 times in the Old and New Testaments. One that
Blake especially loved occurred in Ezekiel 28:
"13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper,
the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I
have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of
God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire."
The covering cherub! the stones of fire!
Blake may be best understood as an expander of the
Bible. He made very good use of the two symbols
mentioned above, and amplified the meanings used by
Ezekiel:
Stones of Fire appears in the Prologue
The Gates of Paradise:
"Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise
Against the Accusers chief desire
Who walkd among the Stones of Fire" (E 258)
Now what in the world does that mean??? We get a clue
from 1 Kings 18:38:
"Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust,
and licked up the water that was in the trench."
This is from the account of Elijah's contest with the
prophets of Baal.
Notice how the fire consumed the stone. We know the
fire was from God, the stone a symbol of matter: Spirit
burns up matter.
That's Blake's message in a nutshell: spirit takes the
place of matter. In our pilgrimage through life the
material is gradually superceded by the spirit (God,
Heaven).
'Stones of fire' represents a conjunction of matter and
spirit. Ezekiel was speaking of a brilliant, successful
potentate of his day, who had achieved greatly, who
would be brought down by God. One such as Lucifer,
associated by Ezekiel and by Blake with the Covering Cherub (another name for Satan or the Selfhood).
Blake's source for the Covering Cherub was Ezekiel, but Ezekiel's might have been Genesis 3:
23:"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Blake had this to say about the Covering Cherub:
"The cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at tree of life, and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed, and appear infinite, and holy whereas it now appears finite & corrupt" (Marriage of Heaven and Hell, plate 14). This shows what Blake thought of the biblical story of the Fall. In his myth the Fall occurs when man is kicked out of Eden (or just falls asleep), but so does the Return.
In all versions of Blake's myth the end of the story is a happy event; the literary heads might call it a Romance rather than a Tragedy.
There's a great deal more to be said about the story of the Fall, especially about the Tree of Good and Evil; I'll tell you more about the Tree if you encourage me,
Stones of Fire
A very prominent symbol in the Bible, 'stones' occurs
161 times in the Old and New Testaments. One that
Blake especially loved occurred in Ezekiel 28:
"13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper,
the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I
have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of
God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire."
The covering cherub! the stones of fire!
Blake may be best understood as an expander of the
Bible. He made very good use of the two symbols
mentioned above, and amplified the meanings used by
Ezekiel:
Stones of Fire appears in the Prologue
The Gates of Paradise:
"Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise
Against the Accusers chief desire
Who walkd among the Stones of Fire" (E 258)
Now what in the world does that mean??? We get a clue
from 1 Kings 18:38:
"Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust,
and licked up the water that was in the trench."
This is from the account of Elijah's contest with the
prophets of Baal.
Notice how the fire consumed the stone. We know the
fire was from God, the stone a symbol of matter: Spirit
burns up matter.
That's Blake's message in a nutshell: spirit takes the
place of matter. In our pilgrimage through life the
material is gradually superceded by the spirit (God,
Heaven).
'Stones of fire' represents a conjunction of matter and
spirit. Ezekiel was speaking of a brilliant, successful
potentate of his day, who had achieved greatly, who
would be brought down by God. One such as Lucifer,
associated by Ezekiel and by Blake with the Covering Cherub (another name for Satan or the Selfhood).
Blake's source for the Covering Cherub was Ezekiel, but Ezekiel's might have been Genesis 3:
23:"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Blake had this to say about the Covering Cherub:
"The cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at tree of life, and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed, and appear infinite, and holy whereas it now appears finite & corrupt" (Marriage of Heaven and Hell, plate 14). This shows what Blake thought of the biblical story of the Fall. In his myth the Fall occurs when man is kicked out of Eden (or just falls asleep), but so does the Return.
In all versions of Blake's myth the end of the story is a happy event; the literary heads might call it a Romance rather than a Tragedy.
There's a great deal more to be said about the story of the Fall, especially about the Tree of Good and Evil; I'll tell you more about the Tree if you encourage me,
161 times in the Old and New Testaments. One that
Blake especially loved occurred in Ezekiel 28:
"13 Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every
precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz,
and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper,
the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold:
the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was
prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.
14 Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I
have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of
God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the
stones of fire."
The covering cherub! the stones of fire!
Blake may be best understood as an expander of the
Bible. He made very good use of the two symbols
mentioned above, and amplified the meanings used by
Ezekiel:
Stones of Fire appears in the Prologue
The Gates of Paradise:
"Mutual Forgiveness of each Vice
Such are the Gates of Paradise
Against the Accusers chief desire
Who walkd among the Stones of Fire" (E 258)
Now what in the world does that mean??? We get a clue
from 1 Kings 18:38:
"Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt
sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust,
and licked up the water that was in the trench."
This is from the account of Elijah's contest with the
prophets of Baal.
Notice how the fire consumed the stone. We know the
fire was from God, the stone a symbol of matter: Spirit
burns up matter.
That's Blake's message in a nutshell: spirit takes the
place of matter. In our pilgrimage through life the
material is gradually superceded by the spirit (God,
Heaven).
'Stones of fire' represents a conjunction of matter and
spirit. Ezekiel was speaking of a brilliant, successful
potentate of his day, who had achieved greatly, who
would be brought down by God. One such as Lucifer,
associated by Ezekiel and by Blake with the Covering Cherub (another name for Satan or the Selfhood).
Blake's source for the Covering Cherub was Ezekiel, but Ezekiel's might have been Genesis 3:
23:"So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."
In The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Blake had this to say about the Covering Cherub:
"The cherub with his flaming sword is hereby commanded to leave his guard at tree of life, and when he does, the whole creation will be consumed, and appear infinite, and holy whereas it now appears finite & corrupt" (Marriage of Heaven and Hell, plate 14). This shows what Blake thought of the biblical story of the Fall. In his myth the Fall occurs when man is kicked out of Eden (or just falls asleep), but so does the Return.
In all versions of Blake's myth the end of the story is a happy event; the literary heads might call it a Romance rather than a Tragedy.
There's a great deal more to be said about the story of the Fall, especially about the Tree of Good and Evil; I'll tell you more about the Tree if you encourage me,
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