9 Years

Happy Birthday to Zombie Bites!

It has only been nine years since I began posting, but it seems like a lifetime ago.  To commemorate the occasion, I've created this image including a combination of elements from The Moon and The Hermit cards of the major arcana of the Tarot.  I included the Hermit as card nine of the major arcana and the Moon due to its correspondences with the ninth sephirah of the Kabbalah, Yesod.

Psyche Delectus: Understanding

In darkness and silence,
mystery distills into understanding.

New Abstract: The Forge of Gebruah

Deep within the sphere of Judgement and Fear, we pass through the pressurized eye of the cosmic needle and into the purifying furnace of the Sun.  The Forge of Geburah burns away all that is not necessity.

New Abstract: Gift of the Red Angel

During February and March I was doing a good bit of work with the Geburah sphere of the Kabbalah and this image is one of the results of those studies.  This may even be yet another image of Khamael.

From the Archives: Khamael Sketch

Here we have another older sketch of Khamael.  When I was scanning this in I decided to play a bit in Photoshop.  I really just wanted to see what kind of molten fiery effects I could get out of his flame hair.  :-)

Zombie Bites New Abstract: Cernunnos in Tipareth

The Horned God burns within the hearth of creation.  His energy flows into all things.

Zombie Bites New Abstract: The Kingdom of Him

Sorry for delay on this one.  It  hasn't been a great week for things running smoothly on any level.  Today is no exception.  With Mars conjuncting Uranus, expect disruption to plans and actions today.  I wanted to have some nice descriptive text for this piece, but I've got nothing.  I've had a severe sinus infection since last Friday that is making it impossible to think clearly.  Maybe I'll come back later and update once my brain returns.  We'll see.

From the Archives: Khamael

After this piece was finished, I spent some time crying in observation of it.  There was a question emanating from my soul and this image emerged as the answer.  I felt like I was seeing something about myself and the world, an undeniable truth, an irrevocable limit.  At that time in my life, I was wrestling with issues involving conflict, self-confidence, fear, and initiating action.

Zombie Bites New Abstract: The Red Power of Sekhmet

Sekhmet is the vengeful lion headed form of Hathor.  She is a daughter of Ra and her name means Lady of Strength, Lady of Power.  Sekhmet's aspect is of justice, bloodlust, and violence.  Here's an interesting video I found on correspondences with Sekhmet.

Zombie Bites New Abstract: The Horse of Time

Across vast deserts of time, the message comes.

Zombie Bites New Abstract: History Set III, Dionysus at Sunrise

Today is the eighth anniversary of my first posts on Zombie Bites.  Although for many of those years this blog has lain fallow in terms of posts, since 2011 there has been a maelstrom of activity.  I suppose that the past two years have been more about playing catch up and getting things up to speed, but there has also been a dramatic change in the attitude and direction of my art.

Zombie Bites New Abstract: History Set II, A Bright and Distant Plain

"In the dream, I emerged from a deep pool.

The liquid was hot and black and nearly reflectionless.  There was an olive coloured steam coming off of it in areas.  The vapor danced across the surface like flame and dissipated quickly as it rose.  The liquid flowed with a rhythm not unlike breath.  At the edges of the pool it expanded and retreated in miniature tides.  Unsettled by its motion, I moved to the edge and climbed out.  The pool was surrounded by a ring of rough white rock and as I climbed I saw the bright desert plains that extended on all sides beyond it.  

Zombie Bites New Abstract: Teachings of the Veiled Fire

Cernunnos in the red room
answers each question
with only a gesture or a look.
The dance of firelight is his mirror,
but there is no flame to be seen.

Zombie Bites New Abstract: Transformation Requires a Sacrifice

In the case of this piece, perhaps what is being sacrificed here is a point of view. An allowed releasing of perspective to expand to a greater understanding.  This also points to the necessary changes that all transformations require.  If one needs to live in water, one must grow gills and fins and if one is to live in a realm of fire, one must accommodate a certain level of continuous destruction.

Abraxas and the Revelation

The Abraxas portion of the image set itself up quickly and then surprised me by asking for more space, which is unusual in this kind of piece.  I gave it a few more inches of space and suddenly a fog filled hallway became a great grey chasm.

Kabbalistic Cross

I kind of feel like this one would be more at home over at Trail of Breadcrumbs, however, that blog doesn't have an adult rating, so a little spiritual nudity here instead.  The Kabbalistic Cross is a short ritual that is part of a larger one, the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram(LRP).

The Guardian

Blocked and bound at the wall of forbidden passage. This is another one of those pieces that doesn't want to give up its information.  There seems to be a diffusion around it.  My attempts at revealing its inner nature seem to be pushed away each time I try to analyze it.

Interesting that there is a Venus symbol in the structure of the piece and what appears to be the head of a large bull hidden in there as well.  If we follow the structure of the Crux Ansata and apply it to the Kabbalah, the guardian head emerging from the circle would be in the placement of the Daath level which is associated with Choronzon.   Choronzon is often considered to be the dweller at the threshold, the demon of dispersion, the guardian at the gate.  So now my difficulty in analyzing this piece becomes clearer.

Alan Moore and J. H. Williams III give a very interesting depiction of this level of consciousness in the 20th issue of Promethea.

Recommended Listening:
Moderat
Seamonkey
from Moderat


{Digital images manipulated in Photoshop}

Yesod Mandala

Yesod

More mandala goodness. :-)

{Digital Image manipulated in Adobe Photoshop.}

Kabbalah

A study of the spheres of the Kabbalah. 

{Adobe Photoshop}

Wheel of Fire

One of my more abstract pieces. 

{Created from several digital files manipulated in Photoshop.}