Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Intro and Acknowledgements

This oracle is dedicated to David Bowie. It was never intended to be created for profit, but as a spirit-offering. It was compiled as a ritual-art project in the early '90's.

I created the first collage, The Master, in 1994. I had a need to begin to integrate some of my dreams, psychologically, and found collage to be the best medium. I felt the dreams were intensely private and powerful, and sat with them for several years before completing the rest of the deck in one week's work. That was in 1996. The original designs were downloaded, thanks to Mike Harvey, in the year 2000. These can be found at: http://www.5years.com/omarie.htm.

The current designs on this blog were redone in the fall of 2007. For these, I took the scanned images into PhotoShopCS, making the adjustments you find here.

Collages: The collages are originally done by hand with scrap-papers, using photos from National Geographic, and various bios and magazines featuring photos of Bowie. I "allowed" the images of Bowie to tell me how he wanted to be placed, and the work took on a life of its own. My writings are laced with phrases and titles from Bowie's songs to get certain points through. Sometimes I heard his songs while the images appeared to me in sleep. The topic matter will only resonate with certain people at certain times. Oracles are meant to be used sparingly.

Writing: Writing for these collages is derived from years of personal studies in the paranormal, Tibetan Buddhism, Qabala, meditation and chakras. At the time these images were created I was heavily into the teachings of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, a.k.a. Osho (See osho.com), and Chogyam Trungpa Rimpoche's "Transcending Madness", his discourses on the Tibetan Book of the Dead and "Dharma Art", a Zen approach to art and design. I also studied "Starseed: The Third Millennium" by Ken Carey; Chris Griscom's, "The Healing of Emotion", "Ecstasy is a New Frequency", and Barbara Marciniak, "The Bringers of the Dawn: Teachings from the Pleiadians". Other writers and teachers affecting the current revisions here are Dr. Wayne Dyer's discourses on the Tao, "Change Your Thoughts - Change Your Life", "Ethics for a New Millennium" by His Holiness the Dali Lama... And "Diamond In Your Pocket", by Gangaji.

I sometimes look at this oracle and wonder if it has anything to do with who I am. It's gratifying to realize - this is how I am living my life! I'm grateful to my teachers. They are: Dr. Lauren Bays, Nicki Scully, Norma Joyce, Z. Budapest and Starhawk; David Bowie, Leon Reed; Honorable Gen-la Kelsang Jangsem, Honorable Lama Gelong Lobsang Choephel, Sifu Benjamin Noma, and David & Catherine Garrigues. Thank you all, for the personal time and energy you gave me, and many others like me. Namaste'! And Thank You to all friends and family who were involved with this project; you know who you are. This is a project that represents sacred giveaway, and kindred spirits. If you are reading this, you are meant to be here!

Bowie's influence in my life, has in many ways helped me reclaim my life. Thank you, David Bowie, for you understand how people love you one day and the next they won't. Thank you for never compromising your truth, but for always standing on it, and following your heart. You taught me how to do the same. Namaste'!

To my readers, and to the children of the future: I honor the spirit in you. Thank you for visiting my blog! Please take a few moments to go to the link showing how to use this oracle. May it guide, bless and align you in the light!

Orandon Marie
December, 2007
Seattle, WA

Monday, December 24, 2007

Image 0 Bowie The Trickster/Alien Summer is Here

"You are not a victim; you just scream with boredom! You are not evicting time..." -Bowie

What is time that it has the power to grind everything known to us into dust? Some say time is moving faster; but perhaps it is your own consciousness, moving time! How to enjoy the journey and make the destination?

In dreams the time-scale is everything; you can travel through the stars, have dinner in another galaxy, and return to your body to see just a minute has passed! In ancient cultures, music and beats came to be known as a "Dream Time" vibration, one which lifts you, takes you to places you might otherwise never go! Learn how to play and to dream; trick yourself out of time! Time is an illusion - not real. It is the "timing" in life that is always shifting-shape. Life moves like a mandlebrot. You can become a part of another Dreamer's Dream, and not even know it! Dance and laugh! Be seriously playful - and playfully serious! Experiment with new beginnings by allowing yourself to experience life through the eyes of a child. This is the beginner's way to Zen.

The oracle suggests it is time to get back into your body by slowing down, getting the right exercise you need. Have you been spacing-out? Having accidents? It may be that you need to put on some weight as well. It's important that you feel in control of your body, not the other way around. Are you struggling with substance addiction? Is substance addiction undermining you?


If you're feeling overwhelmed by people and situations, it may be necessary to slow down, take your thoughts and plans on a moment-to-moment basis. Don't over-reach yourself. Be careful not to let panic take hold of you. If you're having constant accidents and cravings, panic may be getting the best of you. Professional help might be useful.

"In a way, history almost ceases to exist - possibly, we can't really entertain the idea of a future in the same way... Which may not be a bad thing. I mean, by hacking off the limbs of both past and future, we might have created a workable future where we have to deal with things on a day to day basis, rather than having long-term plans for a world which really can't afford to have long-term plans..." - David Bowie; Esquire, Oct. 1995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Image 1 Bowie The Magician/Eternity

The Universe is at your disposal; but to access its doorways of power, you must face the riddle of The Magician.
"I am here to teach you the difference between the relative truth, and your actualized truth," he says with a smile. All things are interconnected, and therefore relative. But then there is your destiny, which is directed by your own freedom of choice. Choose well!
Mysteries and Little Wonders abound beyond this realm of duality; black and white, good and evil. Beyond form and time is a great void of impermanence. It's eternal condition is in a constant state of warp and woof, for nothing is permanent. Nothing Stays The Same! To look for permanence is to become a victim of delusion. To presume permanence to is betray yourself, when it is simply easier to ask! You do not need to do all the "work" when you become a time-jumper.
The Magician will give you the teachings and tools needed to assist your navigation through change: these tools have the meaning for you that you give them. Like you, they are made of the elements of fire, air, earth, water and spirit. They will lead you into the balance you need to Hang On To Yourself. Yes, you can become a presence in the world. A presence learns how to access energy. A presence learns how to use energy without harming other living things. A presence learns how to neutralize negative and harmful energies which impact others as well as one's self. A presence learns how to emit a new frequency of energy. You can learn what the tools are here; you will learn how to use these tools here. Yes, you can later drop them, in time, and become your own means! And yes, it will feel as if you are crossing the Great Abyss of disintegration at times. All you are trying to do is restore innocence to your life.
"Come, and I will show you how the cycles of yin and yang repeat themselves," he is saying.
Inhaling, exhaling; holding, releasing; sleeping, awakening. Just beware! For shamanism cannot be used as an excuse to be promiscuous, irresponsible or non-committal - far from it! Try it, and you will find yourself waking up with your pajamas covered in dirt.
The riddle you must face is this: what happens as you continually work well on yourself? Live authentically.
There is value in all things, and many things can be re-used in utilitarian ways. Don't waste. Don't be intimidated from looking at things from a different angle. Turn things upside-down. If there are objects and material issues blocking your space and your energy, consider getting rid of them, for nature abhors a vacuum. Consider what it is that you need. Open yourself up; open your mind; open the space you are in for something new.
"There's nothing purist about what I do. Much of what I do is a collection of odds and sods that life throws at me. I'm a holder! [laughter] I'm an artistic holder." - David Bowie; Raygun, Mar. 1997

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Image 2 Bowie Eyes Fairy

Do you believe in Magic?

Magic is not something that can be explained, but it is hibernating deep within your being... Make a commitment to transform your inner-delusions of doubt, cynicism, jealousy and greed, for this is a place you can't afford to be "Telling Lies"! Are you willing to feel your own feelings, and go to the depths? How much do you want inner-peace? Do you take responsibility for yourself and your actions? Are you able to name envy and jealousy, and protect yourself? Can you look into the darkness of your own being? Can you find the light and Tell the Truth (if only to yourself)? Do you know your own worth?

As you think, so you create. No need to force it!

"I'm your future, and tomorrow; and the end..." We are The Shining Ones who bring promise.

This is a self-portrait, with Bowie's eye's on the palms of my hands. It represents myself, going back into my dreams, in a deeper state of meditation... Sometimes I have not understood my dreams, so I sit in meditation and re-dream the images. I change them around in my mind, to empower myself. That is how this oracle was created. If I have a dream that upsets me, I replay it in my mind and then switch it up or change it around. Most dreams are gobbley-goop compared to intention.

We can go consciously back into our dreams and re-dream them. We can go back where hearing, thought, words and sensations become fused, as in kind of mental yoga. It's not easy, being sensitive. An arsenal of psychic tools and personal boundaries are needed in order to direct our wellness.


Sensitive people need rituals: drinking tea, meditation, pure diets, gentle yoga, tai chi. Rituals restore some normalcy in our lives. With that, the sacred. Sensitive people are often accused of having screwed-up perceptions; but being sensitive and/or psychic is not about visceral observation. Nor is it presuming. It's about feeling your feelings and being honest. It's about asking "how" instead of "why". It's about being in a good heart-space 
and using your heart to gauge who and what to trust. And when.

You must learn to be careful about trusting strangers. Don't give out so much information about yourself. Make people work to get to know you. Watch the balance in what is being shared.Don't hang out with reckless personalities.Pick up some studies on tantra. Find healthy outlets for your creative expression. If you plan to have sex, make sure you use birth control. Protect yourself. You wouldn't thrash an expensive thing you paid for, such as a new car, would you? Understand that your body is your vehicle! If you're extremely sensitive, conserve your energy. Nerves are delicate, like a flower. Reach for some gentle ways.


Perhaps you are just recovering from an illness... It may be your health is a defining factor in how you live your life. It may be some work to understand its varying degrees of metamorphosis. You're not the same person you were yesterday. You will not be the same person tomorrow.

If you are female, what's going on with your monthly cycles? How are you feeding your heart and your womb? If you're a guy, you are being called to discover more about your own feminine energy and psychic skills. You might be about to receive an initiation from a woman close to you. You are definitely being asked to honor the females in your life... Many people who are attracted to feminine energy become interested in Taoism.


If we're just functioning at a survival-level, we're due to crack-up. It doesn't take much for someone to rock our world. It is possible to build an intuitive strength while managing our own darkness. That's what it's all about! Sacred rituals can be such things as preparing a meal, taking a walk, smudging with sage, creating an alter to the four directions, or meditation space. Animals can also bring a sense of real friendship into our lives.


The oracle would like you to understand, the world is in a state of catharsis.

We have some external representations of this in our media, especially Hollywood... I'm talking about the kind of change that does not let you take your place in the world and keep it. We are living with the after-effects of a generation that has created many things and systems that are easily replaced if they don't work. We are living in a "disposable" society.

I'm talking about the kind of grief where you were ignored or cut-off as a child. Have you forgotten the world of fairy? Take a nature walk and talk to the elementals. The oracle would offer you help in the guise of "Give Me Your Hands"... Guidance comes in unexpected and pleasant ways.


"...I think the kind of imagery that I was most interested in evoking, the kind of area I wanted to place my psyche in, was radically different. The two or three times I tried LSD, in the company of people who were used to taking it, I just didn't get the kind of kick I needed... It was a bit too magical for me, and there was a pansy quality to it. I wanted something dirtier and more crazed... The drugs I was interested in were amphetamines and cocaine, because I always lived with such a fast-event horizon, and those drugs seemed to keep things happening... I paid with the worst manic-depression of my life. My psyche just went through the roof; it just fractured into pieces... And there were pieces of me all over the floor." - David Bowie; Penthouse, Nov. 1983

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Friday, December 21, 2007

Image 3 Bowie The Blessing

A blessing is always the result of your intentions. Blessings can be small yet empowering gifts in our lives. Blessings often go unnoticed because they come by the power of grace. Acts of grace are happening in our lives at every moment. People bless our lives every day, yet the interactions are taken for granted coming in human-form. We seldom stop to consider that there is a continuum... Where we have all met one another before and did the same things together. The blessings of children are, they come into our lives to teach us. It is not the other way around. We are simply here to mentor, guide, and remember what it was to be children, ourselves. If we just remembered who we once were, our commitment to keep the world a place of well-being would be number one.

Blessings feel ecstatic and are bestowed as we cultivate a sense of abundance, generosity and trust. This means sowing reverence for all living things. Sacred rituals are needed, if not daily, to help keep our heads on straight... We also need help to manage new creative endeavors.

Blessings happen in sacred places; they form within our seasonal shifts. We make efforts to learn about our own cycles of blessing, how our bodies and minds shift and change with the seasons; what foods we need; what's required when it's time to rest. Never forget, when all others give up, blessings are about staying loyal and open to the ways of peace.

The oracle is asking that you learn how to appreciate, re-use, and pass on things that might also bless others. This is not a time to take anything for granted. The oracle asks that you stay open to grace, take note of those moments when time seems to stand still. Pay attention to incoming energies and how they literally feed you. Perhaps you have been cut-off from your inner child and need to baby yourself. When was the last time you did something fun and laughed?

It's important to keep positive intentions. Look for the same with those you share your life with. There's much negativity in the world as people struggle to establish safe spaces. Some really get into their anger as a comfort zone (and they're better left alone)! Blessings are borne out of acceptance... They rely upon one's inner-authority and an earnest wish to live a genuine life. This kind of abundance is about faith. It relies on your ability to allow others to live and let live, protect the innocent and nurture them. That also means revering the innocence in you!

"I guess I really purposefully stay away from the negativity of life to a certain extent these days. And it's not about avoiding questions or avoiding issues. It's just that I look for a charged positivism in life as a whole. I can be very optimistic about life - not mine necessarily, but in a general way." - David Bowie; Esquire, Oct. 1995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Image 4 Bowie The Lord of the Land's End

Learning the right use of one's power is of issue. This is the new paradigm, which is pretty much telling us "power" is an illusion. 

There are many kinds of "power". In the beginning, a place of learning can sometimes become, as Antoine de Saint-Exupery writes - "a secret land of tears". For it is in our educational systems that we are first introduced to personal power versus vulnerability. Competition becomes a defining factor to one's success - at the expense of our most personal ways. Some call it the School of Hard Knocks. Everyone needs to learn how to establish healthy boundaries in their lives in order to feel safe. Without boundaries, we stop being genuine and resort to performing. Performing for whom?

We have different types of boundaries for ourselves, with close friends, relatives, family members, even our pets! On the outer perimeters are teachers, employers and co-workers, neighbors and acquaintances; people we see regularly on the street. And still further Outside are the strangers or people with whom we've broken ties. Who do we allow in our sacred space?HOW to go about it?

Here, The Little Prince is standing on his own personal asteroid, db2012. Like him, we all have a secret place where we must go to face our deepest wishes and fears. Power can feel foreign. W
e sometimes have guilt in taking our power. It's easy to become trapped in cycles of guilt and blame with others... Children continue to be victimized until they are able to articulate words and reach out on their own. Abuse may have worked as a way to control others, yet there are still those living mentally in Victorian times... When it was easier for people to keep their secrets behind closed doors. Technology, however, now supersedes privacy. We have moved into an age of personal accountability, whether we like it or not. It becomes more difficult to blame when there are cameras and recording devices all around! Slam/Bam Thank-You Ma'am!

It's easy to go into isolation and forget we're all one humanity! It's a challenge to know when to drop the jealousy battles and not add revenge to the mix. Acknowledging our personal limitations helps to simplify. Respect enables us to have some privacy in a techno-age. We are not automotons; we bleed.

Do you have a need of approval from others? Do you "perform" for people, or seek revenge just to get some kind of validation, or prove yourself right? Do you patronize, presume, or condescend? The oracle is saying you could be trespassing. Someone could be trespassing against you! Acknowledge the discomfort. Do you understand that blame and revenge always lead to violence in some form? Let's make the shift by asking "how" instead of "why". Let's move forward.


"What have you been doing to yourself?" With compassion and humor, take a closer look at where you are. There are a lot of people out there walking around without any sort of moral compass for sincerity... And they're marginal. What I'm saying is, they were not given or taught anything about values. They have nothing to believe in, jerking others around with ego-trips and agendas. 

Power is a trip! Power is territory. In sacred space we look at ways to empower ourselves, then face how we share power with others. We know "power" is simply energy. We get back what we put out. How does a leader know how to lead? By learning when to be still and to trust. It Happens Outside.

"I refused to be a banner-waver for anything or anybody, and I did not want everything that I was doing to be purely colored by my sexuality. I was dealing in a very primitive way with a very new area of public perception. I made as many mistakes as I made positive moves, but that's all right because that's what I did - and those were the times and that's the history of me. And that's great." - David Bowie, Details; Oct. l995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Image 5 Bowie The Master


Consciousness is multidimensional. It takes us into the past, present or future. All these states of awareness can happen in the blink of an eye. The Master knows how to maneuver between the impermanence of "Reality", Fame and Fashion which comes with playing the "game" of life. The Master is given access to numerous tools for personal empowerment traveling the path-works of destiny. The Master knows there are no coincidences. There are many philosophical and occult takes on the phenomena of coincidence. However we can come to see it happening as a form of grace in our journeys. 

As Mark Twain said, "you cannot pray a lie"; therefore, consciousness becomes a navigational process. It leads us through the inner hallways of our own mirrors, where coincidence becomes relative. The Master learns how to witness and use dreams in both sleeping and waking hours... Intention is used to fuse a dream into the dreamtime, where one is no longer dreaming but awake.The doorways we guard with our own inner dialogues and places we go to engage our angels and ghosts await us! These days we don't give much credence or time for demons and haters.  There is challenge, always, not to repress the dark side, but heal it; for it's our intuition! It's highly-linked to all our positive strengths as well! This is why recreational drug-use is destructive. The Master begins his or her path-working by neutralizing personal weakness. "Don't Look Down."

The Master is not confined to physical position. He or she knows how to cultivate a point of center within. S/he is ready to travel or do anything it takes to establish balance and harmony, understanding her own boundaries so as to avoid interference or subterfuge from those who are ignorant.

Once we begin to work with the power of grace, we realize certain things are fated to be, with or without our intervention. We can decode some mysteries with tools such as meditation, attuning and prayer... Invoking archetypes, spirit guides; studying the languages of numerology, astrology and Kaballah. We can embrace change by allowing ourselves to accept the nature of impermanence. We can work to keep things light.

The process of procuring light is like a metaphor for the blank page; consider the potential a blank page holds. Consider a stainless blue sky, empty and clear; or perhaps a sand mandala, kicked; dust flying. As the fires of karma burn away things, places, people, there is transmutation... And the essence of these remain intact on other parallel planes of existence. We can access these parallels, where we find awareness, insight and information. We experience access through literal shifts in the moment; in the timing of our moods and perceptions. Shifts Happen. Night School Happens. Hold the essence of what always remains: more positive potential, more possibilities and more life! Karma teaches us the management one's self, forcing us to master and use our point of center - throughout our lifetimes. (AKA dharma, the new paradigm if you want it.) Think about it. It's been said, to embody this point of center, a Master must never give in to vanity or self-pity. Speak little. And let your words and actions be gentle as you set about your way as an exemplar.

The oracle is saying people are watching and learning from you. Perhaps they are spiritually or psychologically dependent on you. You are on the path-works of demonstrating your skills as a leader. You have the ability to hold the keys through the ages, sacred knowledge and teachings. You are not necessarily interested in advertising! You know the importance of your dreams and goals. You understand most people and their attraction to you are just a side-effect to the real issues and concerns going on. You're prepared to drop anything and anyone necessary in order to move forward. Perhaps you have been accused of being cold and calculating? This is because you are someone who does not "do" guilt or grief. Your work is important to you. So you have found ways to externalize emotions like guilt and grief. You know these things hold people down and block them from certainty. You don't want knowledge; you want certainty. You are working the Law (of cause and effect) to your advantage. You are not afraid to be a healer, knowing it's impossible for others to judge you.

"...most of the religions that developed within the course of the last thousand years have been absolutist and fundamentalist. I think that is so scary... I think anything that is absolutist and fundamentalist, including politics, is such a rigid and nonsensical system it just cannot work for our society. For me, the key word is hybridization." - David Bowie, Seconds, Oct. 1995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Image 6 Bowie Miracles Now/The Lover

We feel connection to our Higher Power as a vibration. Things have energy, and our bodies resonate to varying energies. The music we love to create and listen to is a Word On A Wing: an expression of what we dream. And dreams establish a bridge between the subconscious and spiritual bodies. Perhaps this is the primary thing we, as human beings, understand about spirituality. Here we can meet The Beloved, who reveals direction on how to look through the veil of our own denial; to better-celebrate the physical vehicle of our own body in an eternal dance with others. The Beloved is revealed through the colors, and the Sound and Vision of one's mind, coming to teach us how to quicken the balance of our own positive masculine and feminine energy and expression into existence. In eastern traditions, this union is symbolized the ancient symbol of yin and yang.
Our dreams resonate to our true feelings about The Beloved, in telepathic messages. We receive guidance from this starry wisdom, and humor.
"The secret source of humor, itself, is not joy, but sorrow. There is no humor in heaven." - Mark Twain.
What Twain was getting at in this comment could otherwise be described as an alchemical miracle. It generates itself within one's total physical being, burning like white fire. The Beloved is within us, and all around us; The Beloved is the eternal mind, urging us to make choices, search for aspirations, and direct our bodies. Once we start to get it, this becomes a rapturous dance of unity, inclusive of all things! We can learn to interpret signs through the arts, and through studying energetic systems such as color and art therapy, the exchange of sexual energy with others through color, auras, yoga, tantra and reiki. Our sexual energy is pure, unadulterated life-force. We can use it to heal ourselves. It is not necessary to touch someone physically in order to affect them. It is not necessary to have partner in order to enjoy yourself, even sexually. What I'm describing is a private sexual revolution where an "other" is not needed. But if another person is involed, she is revered and appreciated; respected. You are being encouraged by the oracle to experience your relationship with The Beloved in all people and all beings. In this way it is possible to move beyond the limitations of time and form. The specifics around these teachings are given through the Tibetan Buddhist Kalachakra empowerments (often presented in public by His Holiness the Dali Lama).
There once was a time on this planet when EVERYONE was able to do hands-on healing, naturally. Why have we forgotten these important healing potentials in ourselves and others? Psychologically, it might have something to do with the innate misogyny patriarchy has prescribed through the ages. It is a learned behavior. And it exists in even the best of female friendships (not to mention the needs women have concerning men, and vice-versa.) It is critical to expunge misogyny from our attitudes, lifestyles and existences in order to nurture trust.
There was a time when the exchange of sexual energy healed us, because it was not separate of love. Religions and politicians have kept humanity in-line with the supposed intention of teaching us reverence. But like anything else, religion and politics become corrupt with that very same "reverence", which is more fear than connection to God or Goddess. We are able to evolve our healing potentials in the heart and mind. As one embodies such potential, one will come into a sense of right action and integrity. The Beloved, for many, functions as a kind of moral compass in our dreams, waking and sleeping. In Hinduism, this is a devotional yoga practice known as Bhakti. We live in a time when we can use such integrity to go within and nurture the self, rather than exploit and confront ourselves and others. This is the ultimate "Miracle Goodnight"... For the light of your truth becomes the defining factor of what it "means" to love, and at the same time, become truly free.

"And everything I've written is about 'Who is my God? How does he show himself? What is my higher stage, my higher being?' ...I feel that the emphasis on a one-to-one relationship with God is really the most beneficial to me, personally... Looking into the eyes of one that you love. That, for me, is the surest sign that there is a greater spirit than all of us." - David Bowie; The Music Paper, Mar. 1997

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Monday, December 17, 2007

Image 7 Bowie Virtual Control?/The Tardis

(The word TARDIS, from the BBC episodes of Dr. Who, stands for "Time And Relative Dimensions In Space")

This card is poking fun at the human addiction in trying to control outcomes. "I will live my life on bended knee, if I can't control my destiny." - Bowie, "No Control", Outside.

We're mistaken to think much of what we see or try to control is the "real" Speed of Life. The more we try to prove our convictions, the easier it is to lay a heavy trip on ourselves and those around us. One who practices "magick" learns to police and question that tendency closely. Understanding one's cognitive thought patterns builds self-esteem and self-worth. What's Really Happening behind what you're doing? (Big question mark.) Are you being true to your absolute, or are there doubts in your mind every time you try to execute something important? Are you being pressured by others to take the lead? Are you being backed-up? Critical thinking can help save us from making big mistakes or presumptions. In fact, when it comes to other people is it better just to ask, then presume anything. It saves time. Presumptions always lead to mistakes and disappointment. See if you can drop that, especially if you are reliant on teamwork with others.

There are no coincidences. No one can live your life but you. The sound or process of Breaking Glass is a holographic message in the three-dimensional: it's giving information that an "old program" has been broken-up or come to an end. Take a look at what broke, and what was going on in your life during the origins the shattered item. It might mark a passage. It could also signal a possible outlet to release negative energy and anger! Ask yourself about what outlets you do have - especially should you need to throw something or pound on something! It is ideal if you can master your anger, rather than let anger and other negative emotions master you. Patience! Learn to bend with the Speed of Life - in the same way glass can bend, but not break. It is all just pure, raw, unadulterated energy!

Whatever we do or say effects the ability to enhance genuine communication with ourselves and others... And for going the farther distance in our all journeys, travels and travails. The oracle asks that you look at things you might be doing to kill-off communications, relations or processes that should be inclusive of others. It is asking you to explore your own potentials as a leader. You see, everything is interconnected. So where do your intentions rest in this? And how can your intentions give you the impetus to keep going? We are all multidimensional, with a huge potential for creativity and chaos. Are you Always Crashing in the Same Car? We keep repeating the same old lessons until we learn them, you know? What have you learned?

How will you use that knowledge to do something important? Are you stuck with only your plans? Your success is defined by who you are becoming, first. Be good! Then the doing comes natural. It is empowering to be in a natural state of well-being when dealing with chaos. We live in times when these ideas do become useful tools; for the world, and the universe are chaotic places!

"I grew up in an extremely dysfunctional family. There's an awful lot of mental illness in my family, spanning two or three generations. Fortunately, somehow or other, I've been able to harness that experience in the kind of work that I've chosen to do. In fact, having a way of expressing myself has kept me sane. Sure, I've done serious mutilation in the past, emotionally and spiritually - albeit briefly. But it made me realize how much I need to encompass, both in the conventional and unconventional, the orthodox and unorthodox sense, in my diet of life... What I'm good at doing, and what I'm best at doing, and what I understand and feel a part of and comfortable with is - a world of synthesis. I synthesize all of my enthusiasms of a given moment." - David Bowie; Interview, Feb., '97

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Image 8 Bowie Strength/Otherness

There are many levels of strength, but the greatest comes with individuation. Such is the predicament of "Loving The Alien". As children, we learn a good sense of humor is crucial to one's personal survival. Children can be cruel and we have all had experiences where we were bullied or left isolated. These are the roots of insecurity, jealousy and envy. I found it was interesting to learn that the word "individual" means "undivided"... Becoming an individual means your are exploring the perimeters of trusting yourself, and trusting others. Trust is a process of sharing. It is something that is built between two people over time. There is no love without trust. You should understand that if the trust is not there, then the love is not there either; the "love" is something else.

What does it take to be undivided when surrounded by jealous people? Instead of giving-in to fear, what does it take to assume an attitude of child-like wonder and curiosity? Perhaps the truth is to admit your own lack of knowledge? or ignorance? In this regard, we are all newcomers; aliens.

Each day, practice looking at all things as if you were seeing them for the first time, for each day is a new day.

I am a very psychic person... But it's not something I advertise or sell because I am human, and like you, have struggled with trusting. Part of my problem has been the tendency to think I can read other people's minds. Even though my mind-reading ability is 99.9% accurate, I have suffered. You see, presumptions cut-off real communication with those closest to you. Rather than assume someone has a problem, I now simply ask - "are you okay?" It saves a lot of time and personal grief. (But I had to get my need to be "psychic" out of the way.)

When the ego is based in emotions like fear, jealousy, paranoia and attachment, people become "dis-eased". We buy-in to that disease with conscious focus, allowing it to solidify and dictate our "Reality". People who struggle with mental illness might not even know this is happening. I have witnessed this with those who were raised in abusive situations... How easy it is to make excuses for a loved-one who trespasses all over our being! People will continue to hang-on to a deteriorating situation or person, letting it become an ego-trip. To do this is a form of personal sabotage. Look at such mind-trips with awareness; journal around it, talk to a therapist. Prayerfully make a shift in your energy towards a calmer, more natural and higher vibration. Consider that, as a person you can be dominated - but as a presence, you cannot. Focus on the proactive things you can do to be strong as an individual. Create healing rituals for yourself, and see what you can share with others. The sharing of food, for example, is an ancient custom of making new friends!

Think about new places you can go where you can start fresh. Stop working for that oppressive boss, and take your power-back. Screw the "benefits" because this oracle is saying you can define your benefits and life on your own terms. Get into your personal strengths and go for it!

Unfortunately, some people are not so self-observant. They have not been given the information and tools they need. Without divine interception they are fated to evolve from only the experience of suffering. Many pride themselves on this kind of supposed strength... But without forgiveness it becomes relentless and alienating. There is the suffering that is compelled by personal growth and maturity; and then there is the suffering that is christalized, blocked, locked-up in the past and in the bones.

It's impossible to get through life without various kinds of partnerships. It is also impossible to merge with other kindred spirits unless we are rendered vulnerable. An individual learns to take his or her own weaknesses and mutate these energies, in a balance containing both strength and vulnerability. If you are too vulnerable, you have been busy people-pleasing and have forgotten your unique, inherent gifts and talents. You may be being challenged to look at what got you into this people-pleasing activity. What is your response to it when you're unhappy? Do you spend like crazy, or resort to other addictions? Could it be that you are ultimately betraying yourself?

"You know something? Whatever I do, wherever I go, someone somewhere feels betrayed. I'm not singing this song, I'm not wearing these kinds of clothes, my sexuality seems to now be polarized toward heterosexuality. But it's what I am, it's why I am - that's why I represent this word chameleon. I think we live in a fully hybridized world where there is no such thing as an absolute. I'm not somebody you can put in a box and describe in five words." - David Bowie; Details, October 1995.

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Saturday, December 15, 2007

Image 9 Bowie Buddha Heart Wisdom

The Mind is both collective and eternal; but the brain is a part of our anatomy - it will eventually die. That part of us that lives in the dreamtime could be all that truly exists, as part of a continuum. Perhaps in time, as we learn more through DNA studies, we shall begin to hit scientific discoveries which have been discussed in Buddhist and Hindu philosophies for thousands of years.

The brain is something that can be taken out of the skull and chopped up... The Mind is bigger than that! (Some say it's the brain that is the first thing to go...!) Our spirit and our brains are not succinct. In order to attain peace and personal strength, it's crucial to learn how to meditate, to "dis-cover" the light of our own divinity, or Buddha Nature, through stilling the racket of the brain. As language mutates and redevelops more sophistication in patterns, human being will learn that there is a difference between the Mind (consciousness) and the brain. The Mind is the eternal watcher; the brain is the "doer". Do you remember these first experiences as a child with thought-form developing from your environment? Many people undergo cognitive therapy to deprogram themselves of the environment, establish better mental and emotional boundaries for themselves, and to learn how to speak and think in more life-affirming ways. Your body does things, but you are not your body. Your brain filters and tunes-out daily information, but your eternal awareness takes it in.

The mind is inclusive of all beings; it is collective consciousness. Only humans differentiate from animals in separating thoughts in our brains. Therefore it is very easy to become conditioned by judgment, presumption and prejudice. Animals live in an natural honesty. Buddha put forth the invitation to humankind, to experience our own natural authenticity. We can discover this Buddha Nature by keeping open hearts and being compassionate about our own limitations. In this way we can open-up the light and love we need. Receiving this light as an actual phenomenon; it is not a feeling, it is not knowledge, it is relief. It is inclusive all things, for meditation is a way to plug-in to God. White Light meditation is the very thing that animates what Buddhists call the bones of right action.

If we can learn to be still with the energy, others will learn from our example. In love, there must be trust. If there there is no trust, then there is no love. What might be viewed as love is something else, without trust. Do you understand? Like the lotus flower rising up from a seed, our hearts also rise up... Our hearts can learn how to rise up time and again. Trust in you. Love you! Allow your energies of enlightenment to ascend upward, through the murk and muck of the world, unite with your Higher Power. It's here we attain inner-peace.

Inner-peace is the true power all beings strive for... (It does not, however, come from striving; it comes from meditation!)

"I think when I was working as a younger man, I had a pretty fatuous idea that I was, that my work was me, you know... But it's an aspect of my person, my myriad and complex personality. I was quite certain that it represented me and in fact, at the worst times in my life I think it probably stood for me... I'm not of that persuasion anymore. I feel much... [Loud commotion outside] I'm sorry. I just can't concentrate when other people are talking... [Laughing] My voice has to be the loudest in the room!" - David Bowie; Raygun, Oct. 1995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Friday, December 14, 2007

Image 10 Bowie The Dharma Wheel

Expect the unexpected. What comes around goes around. Welcome to the realm of instant karma, also know as law of attraction. As we think, so we create. Our lives our not always about movement, but consciousness. Human beings don't always comprehend the nature of Changes. It's sometimes difficult to understand that changes reside within the spaces between action, pure-intention and behavior. Double-whammy if our intention are decietful! Have you just been goofing-around? Your lack of intention could lead to major purifcation. Changes are a process where there is a time for each shift to happen in adjustments. If purification is at hand, you will have to handle the changes in adjustments, on a moment-to-moment basis. We're often caught by surprise when it's time to "Turn and Face The Strange Changes"... But you have to keep rolling.

Human beings have seasonal cycles which hone-in on our animal instincts; we also have monthly cycles of movement and nonaction. It's important to pay attention to these. Women, especially, learn much by keeping track of their emotions and actions each day on a monthly calendar. In this way we can decipher our own rhythms and mood-swings. Men could do the same! In Tibetan Buddhism these phases are known as Bardo Phases. They are described as astral planes of peak experience: The Land of the Gods (pride), The Land of Jealous Gods (speed and jealousy), The Land of Humans (passion), The Land of Animals (ignorance), The Land of Hungry Ghosts (possessiveness) and The Land of Hell Beings (anger, fear and hatred). Thus, The Dharma Wheel. And it is here in these Bardos we experience the poisons of being controlled by jealousy, attachment, and ignorance. It is my heartfelt wish this oracle will guide and empower your being.

Life cycles repeatedly commit us to looking at our actions and the effects of those actions on others, what scientists refer to as cause-and-effect. With intention, we might be lucky enough to understand how this process brings to our lives more clarity! "Destiny" implies that there is some choice involved; whereas "fate" is random or ordained through mysterious illness. Yet, it is taught in many traditions, these things depend on cause-and-effect patterns, the Karma of our action and conscious awareness. The universe is a chaotic place, and yet we are the universe, with the universe within. This is your opportunity to become a Buddha.

Intention is the coin between the realms of cause and effect. Intention enables us to become adept at manifesting what we need, and in the most perfect timing. Be Pure. In this way, the past, present and future are made obsolete. There is no destiny.

What matters is the process; the Zen of the Here and Now.

"I'm terribly wary of this and I'll tell you why: the only reason is that I'm fighting furiously to keep it non-linear." - David Bowie; Raygun, Oct. 1995, on the conception behind the OUTSIDE cycle.

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Image 11 Bowie Equilibrium

Equilibrium calls for balance between how much time you spend between your body, your brain, your emotions, and your eternal connection to the source, or God. Be Here Now. For spirit is beyond "thinking" thoughts. Spirit is an empty and clear void that can be maintained by visualizing a stainless sky, or colors that heal you. Focusing on healing colors is way to bring an energetic balance back to yourself. It is one thing that can be done with a neutral mindset; and we can also direct these healing colors into areas of our bodies and lives that need balance. What has just happened that you are in need of positive energy? Ask your higher power what color you need, and focus there for a few moments. Allow the color to flow into your body for as long as you need, and you'll feel a shift.

Spirit is a kind of "Space Oddity"... For without honoring this sacred void, we become imbalanced. This is what takes people out of the "now". The three poisons, jealousy, attachment and ignorance, have a weighty-effect in people's lives. These tendencies, if not worked on, reduce people to shaming, blaming and guilt-tripping. There you are, finding yourself in worry, looking all around. Finding yourself in sorrow, Look Back in Anger. You've done it all and it's time to rise above it all. Faith does not look all around; faith does not look back. Faith looks up by rising above it all. Do you know what happened to you?

The rhythm of our lives becomes disturbed when seeking drama and thrills over simplicity and groundedness. Rather than "Look Back In Anger", it may just be a matter of patience, staying open. Society becomes more voyeuristic than ever, with new technologies that allow us to carry communication devices and cameras wherever we go. Slowly but surely, our rights to privacy are being altered as technology dissolves the boundaries of our personal isolation. It's easy to aspire towards looking for help out there, but that's not where it's at. The truth will always register in your heart, and in the three-dimensional. It may be a sense of deep-dropping heaviness, or perhaps a feeling like the tickle of a feather? Don't just look at the surfaces of things; investigate. See through things. See into things. Voice dialog and journal with that information, and your thoughts. Look into the Shape of Things, for the Earth always bears witness to our bubbles of delusion. We are left with the solid facts of what it means to be an "earthling". To understand your personal boundaries and values, it's critical to get in a good physical space where you can deliberate.

With the Earth as your Witness, know that you do not need become your own worst enemy. If the balance of things is out of whack, you must have compassion, beginning with yourself. A doctor, for instance, should not attempt to heal a patient if he, himself, is not well. Strive for this kind of harmony in your being and life by watching the Scheme of Things. Study how our technology keeps track of things and question your part in it. If there is a situation that takes your out of yourself, or a person who feels a need to knock you down, know it's a cue to get on-track and move, if you must, to a place where you can restore your personal balance. It is a matter of leveling with yourself, and discovering what you require in order to establish respect. How else are you going to have some fun in life? Should it always be at your personal expense? We teach people how we want to be treated. If people presume things about you that put you on the defense or make you feel you have to justify yourself, simply correct them. Inform them their guesswork is off-base. Take your power back and Be Here Now. And now, about the harassment, or the court case, or the situation with the government, or the divorce? This image comes up to let you know things will work out in your favor. Just get all your stuff together, and keep it together, okay? Feel good about it.
"I mean, for all the times that I make myself look a pranny, I also do things that I know are good. And unfortunately, you have to go through the pranny-making process to get to anything good. You've got to make mistakes and once you get past that, it's a lot easier because you say, 'I'm going to make a lot of mistakes but I know if I keep going, there's something really exciting in here and I've got to follow it - I don't CARE what people think and I WILL wear these trousers - ha ha ha!" - David Bowie; New Musical Express, 1 Feb. 1997

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Image 12 Bowie The Christed Man

Dysfunctional pain is like a thorn, wedged in the heart; for some people it feels that acute. Some people, for instance, acquire brain damage from trauma. This is the kind of pain that is unable to get free from a situation that does not serve anyone's best interest. Everything within you is calling out for HELP.

This inability to get free is how some are controlled by their fear. Certainly it would feel as if God was gone, living in some foreign place! Fear becomes a rancid presence, festering as poison in one's life. It turns into all kinds of presumption and paranoia. It makes, for many people, a place of anger as a "comfort zone". You will observe this with people who are more comfortable being angry than they are being comfortable. Something terrible and unresolved is going on, and help is needed. What I am describing are neurological programs in the deep subconscious... Bodily reactions being controlled by Repetitions in thought and attitude; reactions that undermine one's ability to be genuine, spontaneous. Some pain is physical, some psychological; but to be in this position is to truly feel a gap in your life.

Do you think you can get by in life without intimacy and partnerships? Do you feel like you do all the work in your relationships? This is the wake-up call.

There are those who will instead turn to drugs, alcohol, food, sex, and other addictions... Pain in itself becomes an addiction! Where really is the comfort we seek? In addiction, old programs remain lodged in the realms of the subconscious. These then become stray "thought-forms", regulating our lives in the forms of assumption and belief. It is easy to forget that beliefs are simply sets of ideas! Yet, they are hypnotic, and their effects can dry-up our life-force energy. Religions are created as a kind of moral code. What is yours? "What if" you have to learn how to live with this pain? What is it going to take to accommodate it? How do you find life Outside of it?

"Love is the greatest pain-killer." - William S. Burroughs on his deathbed.

The Christed Man is about suspending your participation in the past, so you can get a different perspective. It's about surrender: surrender to the process of getting better, being better; surrender the things and people you can't handle. Surrender to the fact that there are some things you don't logically "know"! Under Pressure, "I don't know" is sometimes the most honest answer. To discontinue a negative experience, another option might be to withdraw your support of a situation or leave it altogether. We have to come to terms with our own truth before we can level with other people. Many spiritual people practice celibacy as a way of releasing their personal investments in the lower emotions like jealousy, desire, need for approval, rejection, etc. Many of us prioritize spiritual friendship over sex and desire.

This card is about Let Go and Let God. Surrender to that professional help you've been wanting. Go talk to that guru you wanted to meet. Call the wise woman you met at the public market. Let someone help you. Surrender the small stuff; surrender the big stuff too! Live and let live; allow and be. This is not a time to meddle in other people's stuff. You just got a "hello" from some psychic sidebar in your life, saying - hey, what's going on with your own stuff?


Placing down predicts upon what we "want" is not always useful. Make a sincere expression of what you wish for - then let it go. Surrender it over to Angels, Spirit Guides, Guardians and Ancestors. Stop leaking your energy by talking to people who are jealous and competitive. Stop bleeding your story. I guess I forgot to tell you - being sensitive is not easy. Surrender your need to be "right" about it. This is a deal between you and your spiritual resources. It's time surrender everything else on your list of importance and get right with God.

Surrender! "Just for a day." Rise above the self-grasping, or the need to be "attached". Figure out what it is that heals you and plug-in to it. If there are physical things holding you down, let them go. Clean out closets, rid yourself of things that don't fit; strip it down; break it down; repaint, renew; pass on; gift. Pray. Praying out loud generates vibrations in sound, and in this way we give our angels permission to intercede. Consider the sacred giveaway, which is to give to others without expectation, to make spirit-offerings. This is another way of talking to God. Tantric practitioners participate in sharing as a way of building trust with another. Sometimes when we are in the position of the Christed Man, it is only possible to share of our presence and not much of our personal being. When the ego is being busted-down, it is very hard to summon-up a "personality", and that's okay! See your actions as becoming gestures of spirit, light and goodwill. Trust in the sacred giveaway of your energy without attachment, presumption, or expectation.

Anger is a reaction to the fear. It is often difficult to let go of circumstances that are actually killing us. We suffer even more because the ego is stubborn and Dead Against It. The self-grasping ego hates surrender or change... For with surrender and the acceptance of change comes humility, let-go, and transmutation. This awareness is what is needed in order to fill your heart today.

You're already thinking about your death?

"I don't think there's been a time when I haven't [laughter]. I was ennobled with a romantic, cavalier attitude when I was younger, but it was still there. Now it's measured with rationality. I know that this life is finite and I have to accept that."

What's stopping you from believing in an afterlife?

"I didn't say I didn't! I believe in a continuation, a kind of a dream-state without the dreams... Oh, I don't know - I'll come back and tell you!"
- David Bowie; Raygun, Mar. 1997



All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Image 13 Bowie Transcendence/Death

According to the Tibetan Book of the Dead, every step we take in life will lead us to a "bardo" or peak experience. That is, we often have moments, phases, seasonal times when we feel like we're in a no-man's land... A "Low" place of in-between-being and becoming.

"Can you make, can you make it through? Can you make, can you make it through, my friend?" -Bowie


It's been said these shifts and Changes are like standing in a rushing bed of water: the river is one, but we are able to witness the waters are changing. We can learn to take the Changes in our lives Station to Station. Like a little baby taking the first steps - it requires some sensitivity to the moment... Rather than fight for "under-standing" - it is time to take the step of radical trust in the Universe! In this way, things begin shift into change where it is possible to descend into the self - and then transcend the self! If you are insensitive and try to go too far by pushing your willpower - death in some form will surely restrict and limit you. Something inside of you will dissolve, until you become strong enough in your own emptiness and surrender to try again. Let the dead bury their dead. Reality would dictate that The Truth Is What Is. To face "What Is", is to be in your truth and to initiate change through your personal practice of integrity and sense of purpose. But change is not something that can be forced according to our own timing. "Reality" does not cooperate with lies. No amount of wishing, hoping, or praying will change What Is! So don't beat yourself up. Know when to lay-low, and conserve your energy for the important times.

Faith in accepting that you have no choice but to surrender to the process of life cycles is part of The Mystery. It's a mystery teaching. The vibe goes beyond explanation or understanding; it's something, more, to be transformed/transmuted through conscious experience. In times like this, we often feel convinced we've been deserted by our Spirit Guides and Watchers... (When it is actually their energy holding us up.)

"I rather think the older I get, the faster you let go of what you do, the better for your sanity." -David Bowie; Raygun, Oct. '95

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Monday, December 10, 2007

Image 14 Bowie Science/Temperance


"Research has pierced all extremes of my sex." -Bowie, "Voyeur of Utter Destruction", Outside.

Does Science respect the distinction between intellect and instinct? Does your doctor play God well enough for you to turn your life over to him or her? The debate is always over how much a person is able to heal themselves, by going within. (What would that do to the business of medicine?) It doesn't seem rational to have so much access to information on wellness, and not heal yourself. The problem is doctors can only treat the patient, the patient must want to be well. It is possible to go inside one's self, and in a non-linear fashion of meditation, trace the patterns of where the woundedness resides, and shift them.

The nature of alchemy is a process of stages; from chaos, there is the seed of coagulation and birth. With birth, there is budding, followed by ripening, fruition, and then death. After death comes putrefaction; a kind of contamination element which breaks down the vessel of the body and then transmutes it, once again, into chaos. In Buddhist Meditation we use the consistent visualization of white light and breathing (Tonglen) to integrate a personal understanding of this process. Combined with what we can glean from science and our doctors, we might discover the needs of our own healing.

Alchemy is the relationship between vessel and its spirit. Our lives are alchemical, shifting monthly with the cycles of the planets, and yearly with the season. Rather than understand the immanence of these shifts within ourselves, people tend to be the Voyeurs of Utter Destruction - watching and waiting while these shifts take place in others... Or, we allow doctors to "tell" us about our own bodies; to "treat" us as objects of experimentation.

We could attune to the signals of our Angels and Spirit Guides for help and guidance... We have the power to pray and ask them for signs; to be guided to the help, tools, medicines and information that we need. Know that any process of healing or transformation is bigger than you; greater than any form of medical advice or assistance. Your relationship with your body and pain has everything to do with your daily activities, and what you put in your body. Take charge of your own transmutation - let your doctors know that you have put in a "word" to their own angelic guides for help. "Certainty" does not rely completely on Science.

"It has become increasingly apparent to me how mortal one's life is, and I think that really starts to unclothe all your illusions." - David Bowie; Raygun, Oct. 1995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Sunday, December 9, 2007

Image 15 D.B. The Devil/Fear


There is a deep psychic memory within many people regarding the separation and war fundamentalists use to describe between body and soul. Some people may also feel this as a split between their masculine and feminine energy. In this regard, the male and female images in the background are torn asunder, representing that psychic state. Such state of being may represent feeling or being only half-connected or half here, or perhaps the impulse to short-circuit without the foundation of another human being.

We hold within our DNA the potential to live eternally, but we have forgotten how to honor the sacred secrets, and label them as Mysteries. So for some, this separation has been accomplished by the doctrines of shame-based and fear-based religious dogma. Such teachings will tell us that Heaven and Hell are separate and opposite, that our souls are outside of our bodies... But when we're in pain, we know better, and in fact our bodies reside within our vast souls.


There is no separation between Heaven or Hell, body and soul; for they are planes of reality right here. The body resides as an island in the soul. The Tibetan Book of the Dead describes this relationship as a kind of Bardo meditation, where our souls are challenged to go through various kinds of purifications. This applies to our many varied lifetimes, as well as our daily lives!

Portrayed here are actual x-rayed skeletons of deformed fetuses. They mirror the real effects of genetic experiments, as well as the abuse of the Earthling's ecosystem... Through past-life regression and abduction stories, many people have a psychic "recollection" of having gone through some kind of genetic mutation, or having dealt with or lived with physical and genetic disabilities. These are neurological memories that keeps the mind bound to the body like a small plot of land. The signals that manifest are such things as seeing all aspects of life in extremes or polarities and oppositions. Victim mentality; mental illness; physical disability that confines or limits; a tendency to be broken and to sound broken, like a broken record... Physical, mental and verbal abuse; sexual obsession, addiction and rape. Sex without love; murder. Do you understand, there is a difference between sex and love? All these activities and trespasses lead to restriction, and in the end, the dark night of the soul. Tibetan Buddhists teach that many of these activities are repetitive, reaching other planes of existence where they take on a life of their own; karma.

Again, the Earth is the witness of you and your life. Without a doubt, this is a self-grasping darkness, a collision into long-term suffering and a long, played-out death, prevented only by radical suffering and change.

"I think original sin has done such massive damage to our psychic lives. It's made an unhealthy issue of sex and death - those two things are our greatest worry. That's why you have violence and sex in popular culture and not in the Church." - David Bowie; Seconds, Oct. 1995.
All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Image 16 Bowie The Tower/Choice

Anyone can sink to a level of making one's life a spectacle of futile sarcasm, condescension, argument, debate and logistics. It can be fun! But that kind of thinking builds into a fever, because the intellect is not being properly cared for. One may as well be banging one's head on a wall... (A wall that blocks-off the genius-potential.) The things we most dislike about others are dysfunctional qualities we must work on in ourselves - or we undermine and sabotage our dreams and success.

Festering thought-forms, "The Screaming of Nothing" - is like a gold-rush of computerized garbage... Entertaining but spent. It's possible to keep pushing the boundaries, to risk everything for more, more - until met with Utter Destruction. So be challenged to understand the nature of impermanence, and work with it. Be careful about what gets you high, including using too much caffeine, chocolate, carbonated drinks and alcohol. These things make make a body crumble.

Competition and bondage become self-devouring. Have you taken it upon yourself to change someone else? You cannot forcibly do this without interfering with that person's divine freedom. In this way people show an ultimate disrespect for each other (who they are, and one another's histories). What's going on in your relationship? A breakdown is needed! Break-down and level-out your needs, values, limitations. Decide. This may lead to the eventual break-through that can bring new possibilities. Breakdown will clear-out the conflict of misunderstanding. Enlightenment - like White Light, White Heat - is always very sudden!

"It was such an extraordinary image, seeing the Wall come down. And now they're really bringing it down. I can't believe that it has happened. Everybody in Berlin was fully convinced that it would be up another hundred years. It's quite spectacular... It is all over. It is all over. What is to replace it, we shall see, won't we?" - David Bowie; Interview, May 1990

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Friday, December 7, 2007

Image 17 Bowie Hope/The Star

The "Vampire Lestat" shows himself as an archetype through Bowie, a reflection on the spirit of a tribal memory, as revealed in the Vampire Chronicles of author Anne Rice. Many within such a tribe identify with a "Gothic" dark side from past lifetimes, ensconced in romantic and religious symbolism... Symbolism that has served, as we know in modern times, only delusion. Many people who lived during the Renaissance, for instance, pursued daily interests in occult philosophies and practices such as astrology, tarot, meditation and contemplation of other lifetimes lived; and now days people turn to their computers.

Do you remember a time when all the pretty decorations in the church remained nothing more than pretty decorations? The density of old forms bleeds-off our human life-force energy. With illness, many of us are come to learn that if our gods don't serve us, we should find ones that do; for a relationship one's god is cooperative, by all means! In our karmic travels we realize our co-creative efforts to impress and unite with others. It's our spiritual connections that help direct our moral compass. So if that doesn't work, perhaps I shall aspire to be the best person I can be. Is that enough?

All suffering comes from the loss in not knowing, understanding or appreciating our true origins. Hope is in finding enough compassion for ourselves to face the nature of our own dark sides... The shadow is not separate of spirit or of "other". We often attract others who represent the qualities that we most despise within ourselves. We are hurt and abused beyond our understanding by others who are jealous. We have experienced the intimate dance of affecting, and being affected by someone. We have made presumptions about others without communicating; in being "psychic", we have been let-down. Then, in our solitude, we are left with that.

A re-claiming process evolves from the desire to embody what is sacred. Rather than participate in the exploitation of others, our isolation asks that we take a closer look at the agendas behind treating other living beings as inanimate objects to be "owned" and "possessed". It is not possible to control or change another We must acknowledge that such "reptilian-thinking" has never served humanity... But rather we know misogyny and all it's "isms" for what it is: domination. (Where is Our Home?) When we forget our origins, we forget about our potential for perfection. Tibetan Buddhists work on this perfection through their practices and vows, anticipating that fulfillment as a gift a future lifetime. We believe we have had multitudes of lifetimes. For instance, we have come to see all sentient beings as having once been, or will be our mothers. Christians aspire to make it to Heaven after death or during the rapture. It is the womb of the universe holding all those things that keep us interconnected with all living things.

Only by learning to love ourselves unconditionally is it possible to bond with and love others. In the practice of compassion and self-acceptance, we find ourselves. Acceptance of the good, the bad and the ugly traits we have to face within our own natures is transformation. Have you ever heard a diamond scream? In the same way a diamond evolves from a piece of coal, you too, can shine. Be a shining star. It is your divine right to bring the gifts you have been given into perfection!

"I'm intrigued with the momentum in body art. Scarification, tattooing and the like. It's become almost an alternative, well, a complementary medium to paint and wood and stone, now flesh, another part of the palette. One wonders why - where could it possibly go? It seems to me it's aligned to a kind of pagan deviation from Catholic rituals. There's some act of appeasing the gods in all of this... It's almost because there isn't significant thought now in Judeo-Christian ethics that popular culture is taking up a lot of slack. Some would say in a gratuitous manner, with violence and sex, but I wonder if it isn't really another form of ritualization, an area where fears and hopes and euphoric states and depressions are dealt with..." - David Bowie; Out, Oct. 1995

All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Image 18 Bowie The Moon

Psychic energy often feels recursive, warped when you've had your head in the sand too long. "I'm Deranged." (The more enlightened you become, the less you really know!) Psychic mind-reading often leads to personal presumption, paranoia, disappointment. Are you okay?

Enlightenment is really about getting back to your authenticity. We leak a lot of our power and energy plugging-in to the fixed images we have of ourselves. Maybe the cycle of energy feels off, or there is a flux in hormones that is making you feel a little in-sane? Is there a struggle of some kind going on with substance abuse? Some find it helpful to keep a monthly chart of their moods and patterns. Do you find yourself nurturing fear? Fear, like an unwanted visitor, can only stay where invited. Once fear pays a visit, it soon becomes like bad company, unwilling to go away! Try simply being with yourself. Spend time getting to know yourself. Time to do some deep breathing, get some rest and relaxation; you might need a lot! Resolve your thoughts, then give them a ritual burial. The situation is affecting your body, and your body is screaming for recovery.

"I think that we can get much nearer to the certainty of happiness in the time that we're alive. But looking for sustenance, looking for something outside of ourselves for sustenance can only lead to depression, I think. We have to find that sustenance within ourselves." - David Bowie; The Music Paper, Mar. 1997


All Designs and Text © Orandon Marie, 1997; 2014