RADIO - Jesse Waugh

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Tiara Budiendra is a Javanese fine artist and illustrator who employs color to great success. She recently completed a Masters degree in fine art at the University of Brighton in England - a course in which I was also enrolled. We begin discussing the Symbolism which is present in many of Tiara’s works.

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This week we speak with artist Susan Fynes about her mezmerizing and intricate work. Following are images of Susan's work which are discussed in the interview. Individual works are described, then named for reference.

Susan Fynes’ work is described as: “Complex systems and patterns which emerge via repetitive methods that often in themselves become examples of a personal test of human endurance.” Susan interests herself in the connection between thought and action.

Find out more about Susan Fynes at susanfynes.co.uk

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Hello and Greetings Fellow Travellers! This first episode of 2016 is just a brief announcement that we at the The Great Work will now be attempting to produce a weekly broadcast which should be available every Friday.

We are also introducing a ‘Members only’ section which will feature the second hour of each Great Work episode. Members can sign up for only $5 a month and cancel at any time.

Although it may seem to be a simple process, extensive work goes into the production of podcasts and online radio programs such as The Great Work — including researching topics, finding suitable guests, contacting them, scheduling interview times, conducting interviews, editing episodes (this step can take quite a while), maintaining the website, and promoting the show on social media and elsewhere — It is no simple task! So the introduction of a ‘Members’ section’ can facilitate our ongoing dedication to the production of quality content on a regular basis — Without your help this would not be possible! 

Today we discuss The Buddha from Babylon: The Lost History and Cosmic Vision of Siddhartha Gautama with author Harvey Kraft.

Harvey Kraft is an American author, and a Spiritual Archeologist adept at interpreting ancient mythic language. Mr. Kraft’s new alternative biography of the historical Buddha titled The Buddha from Babylon is the culmination of 15 years of research into the Buddha’s lifetime and enlightened visions. The book is this year's double winner of the USA Best Book Awards for Eastern Religions and Non-fiction World History.

Harvey Kraft explores human history from a spiritual perspective, rather than the traditional method based on military conquests. His research method employs archaeological findings, translating and interpreting mythic literature and iconography, unearthing hidden meanings embedded in ancient linguistics, and exploring the cosmology of existence through visionary insights.
 
As a student of Buddhism for forty-seven years, his personal quest has been to unearth the meaning of Buddhist wisdom. Mr. Kraft’s new biography of Siddhartha Gautama is the culmination of his aspiration to explore the Buddha’s original teachings and enlightened scope. Reviewers have recognized it as a “seminal work.”
 
Today Mr. Kraft lives with his family in California. He is a sought-after speaker and consultant.
 
In 1998 Mr. Kraft lost his 23-year-old daughter, Lani, after a heart transplant operation. She had encouraged her father to share his understanding of Buddhism. Trying to deal with her passing, he embraced her inspiration to follow the path she pointed him in. His work is dedicated to her.

Dr Elizabeth Baquedano is a world-renowned expert on Aztec culture and iconography, as well as a lecturer at University College London. She holds a PhD in Archaeology, has appeared on numerous programmes and documentaries, and recently won the highly prestigious Ohtli Award from the Government of Mexico, which is bestowed upon distinguished Mexicans working outside of Mexico.

In this, our first interview with Elizabeth, we explore wide-ranging subjects including that of her newest book about the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca - who Elizabeth states is the true supreme deity of Aztec religion.

Or listen to episode here:​

Liliana Leopardi joins us for an update on the Art & Alchemy exhibition at the Uffizi which ended last month in Florence. Liliana goes over the themes touched upon in the Italian-language-only exhibition catalogue, and reveals the inner workings of Medici alchemical experimentation leading up to the Age of Enlightenment. Also discussed is the relation of alchemy and religion to human sacrifice, as well as the fascinating history of the Wunderkammer, or Cabinet of Curiosities.

​Pictured below are images of an antique - probably 19th century - apothecary store front in Florence. The names of potions, concoctions and elixirs listed in facade panels relate to Liliana's revelation that Renaissance-era alchemical experimentation was not only concerned with transmutation of gold, and was not solely a proto-science, but was also the forerunner of pharmaceutical development.

19th Century Apothecary Storefront
Florence, Italy

Torrigiani Gardens T​ower of Athanor
Entrance to the Oven
Florence, Italy

In this special episode of The Great Work Radio we speak with the Marquis Vanni Torrigiani Malaspina, descendent of a long line of Florentine Italian noblemen who is one of the primary custodians of the beautiful Torrigiani Gardens in Florence. The Giardino Torrigiani is the largest privately held urban estate in Europe. Vanni takes us on the garden's Path of Enlightenment, gives us a thorough history of his aristocratic family, and explains the esoteric significance of the estate's plethora of arcane iconography - including the awe-inspiring Torrigiani Tower of Athanor - a colossal 19th century alchemical oven in which bodies were burned as purification.

Be sure to watch the associated video, shown below, which goes even further to illustrate the beautiful Temple of Arcadia, the ethereal Path of Enlightenment, as well as the astounding history and function of Torrigiani Garden's Baccani Tower - otherwise known as The Tower of Athanor.

Next time you're in Florence, be sure to visit the wonderful Torrigiani Gardens - following is their website: http://www.giardinotorrigiani.it

Tower of Athanor diagram​

Tower of Athanor
Linga-yoni / Sacred Hermaphrodite

Vanni kindly supplied me with the following description of famous visitors to Torrigiani Gardens:​

Which tranlated in Google translate reads:

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Was human sacrifice a part of the alchemical ritual enacted in the oven of this beautiful Tower of Athanor? Is this the Bohemian Grove of Italy? One clue mentioned in the documentary is that there used to be a large statue of an owl next to the crypt. Could this be the same as the colossal Moloch Owl at the Bohemian Grove in Northern California?

The Cremation of Care ceremony at the Bohemian Grove - as it was announced by Alex Jones and Jon Ronson back in 2000 - in which "Dull Care" is personified and sacrificed, has caused much controversy. Human sacrifice - more specifically child sacrifice - as well as animal sacrifice - do seem to be at the crux of certain extreme religious rites. On a visit to Jerusalem last year, I was astounded when the tour guide announced that we were passing the hill known as Gethsemane where children were ritualistically sacrificed to Moloch.

​What is the purpose of human sacrifice? Is it alchemical? Does it please someone's god?

Molech Athanor

I believe that human sacrifice serves as the ultimate ​cremation of care. I believe that those committing this most heinous of atrocities tear a hole in "reality" and temporarily wake up from the dream that is life. I believe that through the enforced transmutation of other human beings - especially innocent beings still deep in the dream of life such as children and animals - the elite sacrificers of the world achieve a lucidity they are convinced is otherwise impossible, and that this is why they are willing to go to the extreme lengths and take the excessive risk that is required in the acquisition and execution of this of form ritualized murder.

It is also said that the Elixir of Life is the essence of the human soul, and that sacrificers are able to condense and imbibe the essence of their victim at the time of bodily transmutation and purification.​

In the most excellent movie by Jim Hensen and Frank Oz - The Dark Crystal - arguably their masterpiece - they show evil Skeksis distilling the soul ​essence of their plebeian underlings into a juice that they drink to keep their decrepit old bodies from dying. This is likely a rather obvious analogy referring to the actual activities engaged in

And it's not exclusive to Western societies. Perhaps the most extreme example in the world's historical records is the mass human sacrifice which took place in Pre-Columbian lands of the Inca, as well as in Mesoamerica with the Aztecs and their predecessors at places like Teotihuacan.

Indeed one of the most important stories in the Old Testament is that of Abraham readying himself to sacrifice his son. Passover is the celebration of the saving of Jews from the mass human sacrifice of all of the first-born sons in pharaonic Egypt.​

The reason I created this documentary and radio program is because I believe it is time we address the topic of human sacrifice out in the open. Religion can no longer induce obeisance by the various strata of societies to scriptural prohibition of antisocial behavior. Gone are the days when the masses would adhere to biblical mandates. Muslims still follow the Koran, but that is rapidly eroding because of the internet. Even Hasidic Jews held a 40,000 man forum in New York City last year to address the topic of internet corruption of themselves and their families and communities. ​

​Is there an alternative to the apparently life-enhancing benefits of committing the greatest crime imaginable that is human sacrifice? I believe there is: it is to Know Thyself. You do not need anything that you do not have. You already have Revelation within you!

Inside the Athanor​

Watch The Temple of Arcadia in the rain: The Rain Temple by Jesse Waugh

Circe

This week we talk with author Levannah Morgan who has just released her newest book which is entitled "A Witch's Mirror - The Art of Making Magic". Levannah reveals some of the details of secret rituals in which she has taken part, as well as describing beautifully her experiences with practical witchcraft - a type of witchcraft which can be seen as more personal and less ritualistic. She discusses special magic having to do with experiencing the sea and its tides as an alternative - and in fact an opposite - kind of meditation, while embracing and exalting the senses to a climax of perception.

Cecil Williamson and Hereward Wake are discussed at length, especially in their function as mentors to Levannah, and the author recounts anecdotes, spells, and workings she experienced in their presence. Levannah Morgan is a former chair of The Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall, England, which was founded by Cecil Williamson, beginning with a vast collection of paraphernalia he had amassed.

The book can be ordered from Capall Bann Publishing: http://www.capallbann.co.uk​

or from Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1861633467/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=1861633467&linkCode=as2&tag=jessewaugh-21

Julian Vayne

Baphomet

Nikki Wyrd

Julian Vayne and Nikki Wyrd are the authors of The Book of Baphomet and the proprietors of theblogofbaphomet.com. Together we examine the iconography of the famous 19th century drawing of Baphomet by the French mystic Eliphas Levi. Julian and Nikki then go into the ideological significance of the concept of the god who they state represents the crux of universal balance. Links to their books can be found below, and also in the new Books section of the site.

Following are images I referred to of the Queen of England on the British pound note with ​Baphomet on her crown:

Queen's Crown with Baphomet

Queen's Crown with Baphomet detail

Julian Vayne and Nikki Wyrd's The Book of Baphomet can be ordered from Mandrake of Oxford at http://mandrake.uk.net/book-of-baphomet-2/

and also from:​

Monika Winiarcyzk is an art historian and PhD student at the University of Glasgow. One of the primary focuses of her study is an intriguing duo of statues which appear all over Central Europe. Taking form in statuary, stained glass, carvings, drawings, and paintings, Synagoga and Ecclesia are opposing personifications of Judaism and Christianity, respectively.

Monika goes deep into the iconography and significance of the sacred pair, and explains their relevance to both the Medieval and present eras.

Check out her article on Synagoga and Ecclesia: http://monikawiniarczyk.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/the-fallen-woman-shifting-perceptions-of-synagoga/

A copy of the show can be downloaded to your computer from iTunes.