January 3, 1972

[DELETED SESSION]

[JANUARY 3, 1972]

(This is the regularly scheduled session for January 3, 1972. It is deleted from the record.)

(A note: this afternoon Jane began translating the long letter I wrote her in Sumari on December 31, 1971. It appears to be "The Sacred Script of Regulations." I had no idea of the letter's contents when I wrote it, on impulse. It is three pages of rather closely-spaced lettering, with some numbers incorporated in a few paragraphs, a couple of diagrams and a symmetrical symbol resembling a mandala. Jane tried several times to get something on it recently, without success, then abruptly this afternoon it began to open up to her.)

[(At supper time this evening I explained a few problems of a technical nature, connected with my painting, to Jane. I believe I have solved some of them, or at least am embarked on the right course after a very long period of trial and error. They involve mostly portrait work, and such mundane things as the handling of paint, both opaquely and thinly, and the symbolic meaning behind these things. I told Jane I wasn't asking that Seth go into these this evening; I preferred that he talk about Jane or the Sumari work. I made the extra effort to explain these concerns to Jane because I feel it's part of the resurgence I seem to be experiencing since we made the decision that I leave Artistic at the end of this month.)

Now. Good evening.

(Good evening, Seth.)

Give us a moment. Problems are often set as challenges, to be accepted and used for a greater purpose.

There are multitudinous themes interbound in any society at any given time, and they are all related. There is meaning in all of them. In the eras of the great artists, civilization was united by a series of revelations, ideas and also distortions. The artist was an important art of his society.

The distortions grew so great that the whole structure crumbled. Many artists relied upon the stereotyped constructions of their age, rather than looking within for their own revelations, so that art could have become the frozen art form---painting could have---that showed clearly the spiritual immobility of a people who finally grew dry.

The world from that initial creative center had to expand. It could not do so by imposing its culture, however admirable in many respects, upon others. The culture had to change, the foundations of art had to change, the old images had to be [in your terms] (underlined)

demolished, for they had begun to freeze the birth of new insights and creative feeling.

The artist became at that point truly an initiator, no longer supported by the cultural society. While the majority were still immersed in the old, the artists were already experimenting with the new, and became to some extent outlaws to their own people.

Those minor artists who still continued to follow old patterns often did so because they were honestly not initiators or creators, merely facile.

They belonged to the (in quotes) "mass mind" of the time, therefore they did not have to feel apart and were accepted.

You think you have harbored under great disadvantages, being born into a society that makes true creativity so difficult.

True creativity is far more apt to flourish, however, to the extent that you are not trapped by the "mass mind"(in quotes), and not tempted by the inducements. (Long pause at 9:10.) You chose the circumstances against which to pit yourself. The kind of art you will roduce is not meant to be the art of youth. It is not what you intended. Your insights and intuitions were to be sifted through earthly years of knowledge and experience. Through these, childlike wisdom will indeed show itself, but a wisdom that has been tried, that is aware of its own integrity through the seasons.

An early acceptance would have tempted you to rely upon the facility before the inner spontaneity even began to grow to maturity. Your early comic book work should have told you that. You were quite facile and could have done well with it longer in other fields of activity---TV for example---had you chosen.

(I was very facile---so much so that a large part of my early work consisted of finishing off the work of others so that it would reproduce well. In the comic trade I was an "inker," and had more work available than I could handle. I also made a lot of money at an early age, in those days before high taxes. A comparable income now would amount to several hundred dollars a week.)

You did not chose that easy way for a reason. You knew you were reparing yourself, but the time of preparation was extended beyond what it need have been. (9:20.)

The psychic developments are also interbound in your own work, because you doubted yourself the preparation time was extended by you. The final eriod was and is to be one in which your energies are directed to your work without the outside job, for finally you began to feel that you were not doing what you should do; this itself inhibited your trust in yourself further, and therefore the development of your work.

Trust between you and Ruburt was also a prerequisite according to your own plans, set earlier. The impetus to help you is a built-in one, also meant as a further stimulus to Ruburt in his work and in our work.

Already the energies of your natures are beginning to regroup. You have therefore a firm foundation from which to begin your endeavors as long as you understand and believe that you have.

If there have been built-in time bombs, as Ruburt once said, there have also been built-in points to lead you into new highly-productive areas.

Now. The yoga is good, a confrontation of Ruburt with his body, leading to a reconciliation. He must not strain, however. Already energy channels are beginning to clear. The willingness and recognition have occurred mentally of course, to make the exercises ossible.

I suggest you take a break and we will continue.

(9:25---9:37.)

Now. The inhibition you were enforcing upon yourself by working outside was reflected in your work inevitably, as soon as you became aware that the course no longer served its purpose. You were not one with yourself or with your course of action. You were somewhat apart from yourself then.

In your sketches you allow complete freedom. The sketches sketch themselves through you, so let the paintings paint themselves through you in the same fashion, and miracles of technique will follow automatically. No problem of technique will exist, in other words.

Read again the material I have already given you, the suggestions on your paintings. You can use purple or violet with too heavy a hand, and the brown becomes lost then. Rise up the importance of yellows or colors signifying light. Let them shine through. Do not smother them with opaqueness.

Let your preliminary sketches be as spontaneous as your ink sketches.

Then imagine the colors as appearing from within, not applied from without but shining through. Remember the incredible individuality and integrity and possibilities of each line. You can sometimes forget this in your painting sketches, while you are quite aware of it in your ink sketches.

Imagine the colors as waves of light, not as applied (with gestures) or added onto, but as growing out of, filling the reliminary sketch as blood fills the body.

(This is excellent material, as I told Jane. I explained to her after the session that I wasn't sure about the reference to purple or violet, which I seldom use directly because they are hard to integrate into a ainting---at least for me. By the next day, I may know why Seth made the reference. The reds I use, being cadmiums, can take on a decided violet cast when mixed with white. This must be kept under control. The ainting I am working on now features a cadmium red shirt on the subject, and has given me some trouble because of its tendency to turn urplish if not watched; since Jane has seen me at work on this portrait often, she may have picked this up, although I haven't mentioned it to her. I did explain to her before the session my dislike of too brown a cast to features---this was one of the points we discussed, as mentioned earlier.)

(The idea of letting the painting fill itself with color "as blood fills the body" is excellent.)

[(9:43.) Now give us a moment.

Your Sumari statement. This is, in English, the memory of a covenant---and that should be the word in Ruburt's first line, instead of regulations.

It is indeed an ancient covenant. It is a translation of many manuscripts that have appeared and disappeared throughout the ages. In your terms the initial statement was a physical reminder of a covenant already made before spirit was made flesh.

You and Ruburt made it, in your terms now, together. You wanted to remind him of its importance. You have been Sumari together; you are now. Some of Ruburt's early poetry about the two of you was a reflection of that knowledge.

It was because of this that you decided beforehand on the development of the sessions. There are rites (spelled) that were used in various civilizations to stand as ceremonial reminders of this covenant.

The Incas knew some of these. Christ knew them, but they were thrown away by his followers. The Hebrews knew but distorted the information.

The Lumanians knew, but tried to override the body.

Now the covenants are appearing again. No man can be a fanatic who truly follows this covenant, for the soul nor the body is exploited for the seeming benefit of the others. The covenant is written in your genes.

(Can I ask a question?)

You may.

(How could I write this covenant in Sumari when I didn't know what I was writing? I've wondered about this before. It's so easy, yet I couldn't do it in English.)

If you remember what I told you about the language, then you will see clearly.

(I couldn't remember offhand. "When I'm writing, I don't know what I'm writing.")

You don't consciously know. You need the connection yet, you see, the bridge of the language across which the meaning of the language can come. Do you follow me?

Now you may take a break.

(9:55. Jane's trance had been good, her pace mostly fast. I explained my second question to her now, to save time: Is what Jane gets a literal translation of what I write in Sumari, or does my Sumari act just as an impetus for her to get her version of it, etc.? Resume at 10:19.)

Now. I know you want an answer to your question--- (It can wait.)

---yet the question itself limits the answer I can give you. It does not have to be an either-or proposition, for example. There is no contradiction between the two alternatives you gave me. The covenant exists quite vitally within the depths of your being.

(Humorously:) Truth often appears hidden in the most exquisite of nonsense. It often disappears in the most weighty of tomes.

It is not an imaginary covenant, yet with the aid of the imagination you can approach what it is.

Now some strong portions of Ruburt's energies are already working in your joint behalf. The exercises are important symbolically because they show he is willing to spend time with his body rather than ignoring it.

The intent will add to the exercises' effectiveness. The body will be encouraged to free its rhythms and reestablish its natural ones. Energy will be released, but (smiling) three days is hardly enough for him to expect great results. The results will come from the changed attitudes. These themselves brought about the desire to exercise, and the desire flowed outward from your decisions. Areas of the body are being manipulated and literally washed, that have been relatively untouched and denied energy in the past. The exercises, and again because of the inner interests, will bring about a weight gain, normal bodily weight as the adjustments continue.

Quite literally he felt no deep need for exercises before. It did not serve his purposes. I am going to give you a shorter session this evening, and unless you have questions I will end it.

(I guess not.)

This is to compensate for your long session.

(That didn't bother me any.)

There are developments still occurring, or rather the developments begun are only begun; and with that enigmatic statement I will end the session. (Louder:) My heartiest regards to you, and a fond good evening.

("The same to you, Seth. Thank you very much. Good night.")

(10:31.)