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| Wikimedia Commons Christ in the Sepulcher Guarded by Angels |
"In keeping with its original wind-nature, spirit is always an active, winged, swift-moving being as well as that which vivifies, stimulates, incites, fires, and inspires. To put it in modern language, spirit is the dynamic principle, forming for that very reason the classical antithesis of matter - the antithesis, that is, of its stasis and inertia. Basically it is the contrast between life and death.
...
The special development of man's idea of spirit rests on the recognition of that its invisible presence is a psychic phenomenon, i.e., one's own spirit and that this consists not only of uprushes of life but formal products too. Among the first, the most prominent are the images and shadowy presentations which occupy out inner field of vision: among the second, thinking and reason, which organize the world of images. In this way a transcendent spirit superimposed itself upon the original, natural life-spirit, and even swung over to the opposite position, as though the latter were merely naturalistic. The transcendent spirit became the supernatural and transmudane cosmic principle of order and as such was given the name of 'God,' or at least it became an attribute of the One Substance (as in Spinoza) or as one person of the Godhead (as in Christianity.)"
Jung emphasized that the archetype spirit has both a bright side and a dark side which can overwhelm the psyche. He states " the archetype of the spirit is capable of working for good as well as for evil, but it depends on man's free will - i.e., conscious - decision whether the good will also be perverted into something satanic." Blake seems to have preferred to use the word spirit for the benevolent force whose goal is always to bring together what is divided, to shed light in dark places and to replace suffering with joy.
To Blake the Spirit was a subjective experience abiding within humanity. Unless an individual can conceive of a reality which is not a material object accessible to the senses, the spiritual world will be inaccessible to him. Blake realized that it was not through his sense perception that he had a connection with a dimension of reality which was more expansive, more enriching and more encompassing than the natural world. He knew that spiritual perception was available to everyone who sought it but that few took advantage of its benefits. Blake's gifts were unique but his ability to use the gifts which he had received created an avenue for others to realize their own gifts, to claim them, and to put them into the service of the spiritual world into which they opened.
Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Plate 5, (E 35)
"How do you know but ev'ry Bird that cuts the airy way,
Is an immense world of delight, clos'd by your senses five?"
Milton, PLATE 40 [46], (E 141)
"I see thee strive upon the Brooks of Arnon. there a dread
And awful Man I see, oercoverd with the mantle of years.
I behold Los & Urizen. I behold Orc & Tharmas;
The Four Zoa's of Albion & thy Spirit with them striving
In Self annihilation giving thy life to thy enemies"
Milton, Plate 40 [46], (E 142)
"The Negation is the Spectre; the Reasoning Power in Man
This is a false Body: an Incrustation over my Immortal
Spirit; a Selfhood, which must be put off & annihilated alway
To cleanse the Face of my Spirit by Self-examination."
Jerusalem, Plate 3, (E 145)
"The Spirit of Jesus is continual forgiveness of Sin: he who
waits to be righteous before he enters into the Saviours kingdom,
the Divine Body; will never enter there."
Jerusalem, Plate 5, (E 147)
"To open the Eternal Worlds, to open the immortal Eyes
Of Man inwards into the Worlds of Thought: into Eternity
Ever expanding in the Bosom of God. the Human Imagination
O Saviour pour upon me thy Spirit of meekness & love:
Annihilate the Selfhood in me, be thou all my life!
Guide thou my hand which trembles exceedingly upon the rock of ages,"
Jerusalem, Plare 27, (E 173)
"Come to my arms & never more
Depart; but dwell for ever here:
Create my Spirit to thy Love:
Subdue my Spectre to thy Fear,"
Jerusalem, Plate 74, (E 229)
"The Spectre is the Reasoning Power in Man; & when separated
From Imagination, and closing itself as in steel, in a Ratio
Of the Things of Memory. It thence frames Laws & Moralities
To destroy Imagination! the Divine Body, by Martyrdoms & Wars
Teach me O Holy Spirit the Testimony of Jesus! let me
Comprehend wonderous things out of the Divine Law"
Four Zoas, Night VIII, Page 100, (E 374)
"The battle howls the terrors fird rage in the work of death
Enormous Works Los Contemplated inspird by the holy Spirit
Los builds the Walls of Golgonooza against the stirring battle"
Descriptive Catalogue, (E 541)
"A Spirit and a Vision are not, as the
modern philosophy supposes, a cloudy vapour or a
nothing: they are organized and minutely articulated beyond all
that the mortal and perishing nature can produce."
Letters, to Hayley,(E 705)
"Thirteen years ago. I lost a
brother & with his spirit I converse daily & hourly in the
Spirit. & See him in my remembrance in the regions of my
Imagination. I hear his advice & even now write from his
Dictate--Forgive me for expressing to you my Enthusiasm which I
wish all to partake of Since it is to me a Source of Immortal
Joy even in this world by it I am the companion of Angels."
Four Zoas, Night VII, PAGE 84,(E 359)
"The Spectre said. Thou lovely Vision this delightful Tree
Is given us for a Shelter from the tempests of Void & Solid
Till once again the morn of ages shall renew upon us
To reunite in those mild fields of happy Eternity
Where thou & I in undivided Essence walkd about
Imbodied. thou my garden of delight & I the spirit in the garden
Mutual there we dwelt in one anothers joy revolving
...
I was divided in darkness & oblivion thou an infant woe
And I an infant terror in the womb of Enion
My masculine spirit scorning the frail body issud forth
From Enions brain In this deformed form leaving thee there
Till times passd over thee but still my spirit returning hoverd
And formd a Male to be a counterpart to thee O Love"
Four Zoas, Night IX, PAGE 117, (E 386)
"And Los & Enitharmon builded Jerusalem weeping
Over the Sepulcher & over the Crucified body
Which to their Phantom Eyes appear'd still in the Sepulcher
But Jesus stood beside them in the Spirit Separating
Their Spirit from their body. Terrified at Non Existence
For such they deemd the death of the body. Los his vegetable hands
Outstretchd his right hand branching out in fibrous Strength
Siezd the Sun. His left hand like dark roots coverd the Moon
And tore them down cracking the heavens across from immense to immense
Then fell the fires of Eternity with loud & shrill
Sound of Loud Trumpet thundering along from heaven to heaven
A mighty sound articulate Awake ye dead & come
To judgment from the four winds Awake & Come away"
Everlasting Gospel,(E 520)
"Thou also dwellst in Eternity
Thou art a Man God is no more
Thy own humanity learn to adore
For that is my Spirit of Life
Awake arise to Spiritual Strife"
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