Visions

I had a fairly odd experience today. I was at the library, not doing much, when a black gentleman sat down next to me. He was tall, thin, with long dreadlocks and a small pointy beard. He looked at me as though considering something important, before speaking:
"You've had visions, haven't you?"
I told him I didn't quite now what he meant. He explained he meant exceptionally vivid dreams, that I had been having since I was a child, that proceeded to come true in some form or another. He described them as "downloads from God". That God was trying to tell me something. "You may not take them seriously, or other people may tell you that they're only dreams, but don't listen that. They are gifts." He spoke of sometimes the most vivid of daydreams are the closest thing to prophecies, that they give us keys to unlocking the future. He told to write down my dreams, as soon as they happened, describing them as "invisible ink - they fade over time." As he got up to leave, he turned to look at me and said, "You're gonna change the world. To make it a better place. Don't forget to write down your dreams." And he was gone.


Needless to say, this whole exchange left me a bit perplexed. The gentleman had seemed so intense in what he was saying, like he had to say it. It was a little eerie how he close to the truth he was about the vividness of my dreams, and other people's reactions when I described them. And in truth, I have always believed in the power of dreams, whether it be as inspiration for my art and writings, or, (for lack of a less dramatic word) predictions. A surprising number of my dreams have come true, but not in the typical sense. I have always felt that if a dream is a predication, it's going to be more symbolic than literal, as it has been with my dreams.


Now, I'd like to add something: I am in truth very skeptical of most things that could be considered "New Age" in tone. Very rarely have I seen evidence of there being anything other than the world right in front of us. But over the past year, I have grown less and less certain of that, the incident today just being another example of my growing uncertainty. Too many lucky breaks have come my way, one after another. A friend of mine at work keeps telling me that everything happens for a reason, and in my less cynical moments, I wonder if she's right. Anyway, I just to share this with you, Specters. Share your thoughts in the comment section, if you like.

19th Birthday

"Every year on your birthday, you get a chance to start new." - Sammy Hagar
And start anew I shall. Big changes are happening in my life right now, and I couldn't be happier about it. The best part of it is I've got even more opportunity in front of me. The trick is daring to grasp it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Proverbs of Hell

By William Blake:

In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.

Drive your cart and your plow over the bones of the dead.

The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom.

Prudence is a rich ugly old maid courted by Incapacity.

He who desires but acts not, breeds pestilence.

The cut worm forgives the plow.

Dip him in the river who loves water.

A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.

He whose face gives no light, shall never become a star.

Eternity is in love with the productions of time.

The busy bee has no time for sorrow.

The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock, but of wisdom: no clock can measure.

All wholsom food is caught without a net or a trap.

Bring out number weight & measure in a year of dearth.

No bird soars too high, if he soars with his own wings.

A dead body, revenges not injuries.

The most sublime act is to set another before you.

If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.

Folly is the cloke of knavery.

Shame is Prides cloke.

Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion.

The pride of the peacock is the glory of God.

The lust of the goat is the bounty of God.

The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God.

The nakedness of woman is the work of God.

Excess of sorrow laughs. Excess of joy weeps.

The roaring of lions, the howling of wolves, the raging of the stormy sea, and the

   destructive sword, are portions of eternity too great for the eye of man.

The fox condemns the trap, not himself.

Joys impregnate. Sorrows bring forth.

Let man wear the fell of the lion, woman the fleece of the sheep.

The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship

The selfish smiling fool, & the sullen frowning fool, shall be both thought wise, that

   they may be a rod.

What is now proved was once, only imagin'd.

The rat, the mouse, the fox, the rabbit: watch the roots; the lion, the tyger, the horse,

   the elephant, watch the fruits.

The cistern contains; the fountain overflows.

One thought, fills immensity.

Always be ready to speak your mind, and a base man will avoid you.

Every thing possible to be believ'd is an image of truth.

The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow.

The fox provides for himself, but God provides for the lion.

Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.

He who has suffer'd you to impose on him knows you.

As the plow follows words, so God rewards prayers.

The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction.

Expect poison from the standing water.

You never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough.

Listen to the fools reproach! it is a kingly title!

The eyes of fire, the nostrils of air, the mouth of water, the beard of earth.

The weak in courage is strong in cunning.

The apple tree never asks the beech how he shall grow, nor the lion, the horse,

   how he shall take his prey.

The thankful reciever bears a plentiful harvest.

If others had not been foolish, we should be so.

The soul of sweet delight, can never be defil'd.

When thou seest an Eagle, thou seest a portion of Genius, lift up thy head!

As the catterpiller chooses the fairest leaves to lay her eggs on, so the priest

   lays his curse on the fairest joys.

To create a little flower is the labour of ages.

Damn, braces: Bless relaxes.

The best wine is the oldest, the best water the newest.

Prayers plow not! Praises reap not!

Joys laugh not! Sorrows weep not!

The head Sublime, the heart Pathos, the genitals Beauty, the hands &

   feet Proportion.

As the air to a bird of the sea to a fish, so is contempt to the contemptible.

The crow wish'd every thing was black, the owl, that every thing was white.

Exuberance is Beauty.

If the lion was advised by the fox, he would be cunning.

Improvement makes strait roads, but the crooked roads without Improvement,

   are roads of Genius.

Sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires.

Where man is not nature is barren.

Truth can never be told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd.

Enough! or Too much!

TV Terrors

Was perusing YouTube and stumbled across some fun vintage Halloween and Horror-themed vintage commercials. Though you might like to see them:













And my personal favorite:
 

Headless Horseman

A fun old commercial featuring my favorite Halloween character:

Little Slices of Death

Photographer Nicolas Bruno has had sleep paralysis since he was 15. As result, he has managed to turn the frightening visions that accompany the condition into something strangely beautiful through his art.

Bad Dreams & Bloodstains

The disturbingly beautiful visions of Joshua Hoffine. I cannot praise this man's work enough. Amazing stuff.
(WARNING: Some of these images are graphic, disturbing, and not safe for work or children. You have been warned):

Death & Resurrection

A wonderful piece of stop-motion video art, created with nothing more than paint and a camera over five days: