Lose a Man, Lose a Universe

Yesterday the Lovely Carla and I found ourselves browsing the Occult Bookstore in the Flat Iron Building (we were in the building visiting my brother's art studio - part of the Coyote Arts Fest). There was some kind of low-level murmuring coming from behind a bookshelf, we both heard it, we looked at each other and simultaneously mouthed: Rosemary's Baby! We didn't buy a book, (later at Quimby's I scored a copy of "Divine Invasions," a biography of Philip K. Dick, written by Lawrence Sutin, who by the way, also wrote a book on the mystic, shyster, wild man, Aleister Crowley - later Jimmy Page of Led Zepplen bought Crowley's old castle haunt, rumour has it that Page, blew his mind, dabbling in Crowley's dark, occult secrets), but I was reminded of my in-depth fascination with the mystical/occult tradition.

Macrocosm/Microcosm. "As above, so below." We are carbon-based bipeds, brothers and sisters to the carbon-based, swirling balls of fire in the sky which we call "stars." What a strange, bizzare, unfathomable world we live in...

At the art studio, my brother displayed a selection of his dark, soulful paintings as well as a few key pieces painted by my father. My father had a fascination with color and space, his paintings are starkly colorful, boldly beautiful. It's a touching tribute to see his art out in the world, so vibrant and alive.

I was reminded of the phrase (did I coin it?): lose a man, lose a universe. The mystery: a man is a universe, and at the same time, he is contained by a universe. As we pass, (I'm beginning to understand the concept of "generations," - Kesey - gone, HST - gone, Ginsberg - gone, Harrison - gone) do we pass into a greater, higher, realm?