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John Adams

Viewing Austin Osman Spare





Austin Osman Spare (1886–1956) was a multi-faceted figure, embodying the roles of artist, thinker, and occultist with unparalleled finesse. Born in London, Spare began to carve his unique path early in the 20th century, leaving an indelible mark on the worlds of art and esotericism.


At the core of Spare's philosophy was a profound emphasis on the unconscious mind, which he believed to be an untapped well of creativity and liberation. He sought to transcend the limitations of conscious thought, advocating for the exploration of the unconscious as a gateway to profound self-discovery, realization, and artistic expression. This approach was encapsulated in his own words, where he described his desires as a "mighty sun – all embracing," manifesting in a form of a vortex that sought to engage with the entirety of consciousness.


A notable testament to Spare's avant-garde spirit is his 1916 book on automatic drawing, a groundbreaking exploration into a form of art that predates the emergence of Surrealism and Dada movements. This early venture into automatic drawing showcased Spare's ability to tap into the intuitive and spontaneous aspects of creativity, laying the groundwork for later artistic developments.


Austin O. Spare artwork
Austin O. Spare artwork

Spare's artistic endeavors were as diverse as his philosophical musings. Ranging from spontaneous and imaginative creations to works with a more traditional and even occult influence, Spare navigated through various artistic styles with fluidity. His artistic palette encompassed everything from pre-Raphaelite aesthetics to symbolist traditions, creating a body of work that defied easy categorization.


In addition to his artistic contributions, Spare delved into the realms of the occult, adding another layer to his enigmatic persona. His engagement with occult practices, symbolism, and mysticism further showcased his deep-seated fascination with the hidden and the esoteric. This intersection of art and the occult not only fueled his creative output but also solidified his status as a pioneering figure in the occult revival of the early 20th century.

The importance of Austin Osman Spare's work lies not only in its innovative artistic expressions but also in its profound impact on the exploration of the human psyche and the merging of art with esoteric traditions. Spare's ideas and practices have influenced subsequent generations of artists, occultists, and thinkers, inspiring them to delve into the untapped realms of the unconscious and seek new avenues for creative expression and self-discovery.


The Target

"Describe the personality and life connected to the magic of Austin Osman Spare."


Viewer: John Adams

Tasker and monitor: Jemma Warner


The first image I saw was a spiral symbol that represented "interconnectedness...the circle of infinity type thing, like the head and snake tail", which is obviously an occult symbol, like the ouroboros. I perceived cosmic, golden energies, and the image of

"two hands holding light", as "if someone picked up water in their hands from a water source and was holding it up, and then like the twilights in the distance or a source of light in the distance...golden light"

Given the focus of the target it make sense to pick up on lots of energies and the subject was someone who had done a lot of energetic and inner work, and seemed to have arrived at a certain pureness of intent:


I see this man who reminds me of a magician, like an alchemist, or Galileo type, and I see a clock type device, Hands of Time sort of feeling, and it's like an alchemical feel around this and the person. If this person is indeed related to this target, they seem like they've done some sort of energy work, inside work, or clearing or there's pure intent and connection. There's this golden energy and I think he said that he was an explorer.

I also picked up a person with a firebrand sort of personality:

"I want to say he has like almost sort of a robe maybe, it's dark or purplish, sort of like velvety or satin. I first perceived him as like a gray beard sort of Orson Wells in his older years. Kind of serious-looking or intense, perhaps. Let me retry that. I get the word firebrand. Maybe that's his personality."

I perceived a magician's cape with purple and platinum decor and weird symbols that reminded me of "Atlantis", which were probably occult symbols. In addition to that, I got a lot of impressions of art work and some scenes in nature. At one point I felt it indicated treading rough seas or struggles. It felt further in history and as something historical in nature.


RV Sketches


Austin Osman Spare - Nemesis
By Austin Osman Spare - Nemesis


Occult-like symbol
Magic or ceremonial-looking cape











RV Sketch of someone preparing something diligently with hands
Someone working diligently to prepare or fix something
Austin Osman Spare painting in studio
A.O.S. painting













Session transcript and relevant images:


The first thing I saw, and I don't know if

this was mental noise, was like a

white circular spiral, like a

spirograph ornate

design. Kind of had the feeling

of the color white around...

I also got the word myth.


[Okay could you draw that if you

needed to just out of Interest?]


I'll remember the image and I

can draw it afterwards

or at least a very close

approximation.


[Does the symbol or the

image that you saw have any

representation to the target?]


I don't know, there's a distinct

waviness to it and like the lines

kind of go in and out like

spirals and maybe that somehow

represents something to do

with interconnectedness, or I'm

just kind of guessing.


Almost like the the circle of

infinity type thing, like the head and snake

tail kind of thing but I'm not sure.


I'll keep probing into it. It's

still a little bit early so kind of

finding my way...


[Carry on]


I kind of have the feeling of orange

white energy; reminds me of a star or spiral

galaxy, but this orange white energy is

like sort of a fiery, cosmic golden type of

energy.


[Can you explore the energy

further?]


Yeah that's what I'm doing now.

I'm seeing some stuff that I'll tell

you. I don't know if I'm getting carried

away on a tangent with the energy but

it's something that comes in

and it's very electric, powerful, kind of

spreads around, fiery ,almost like a sun.

Golden bright white.


[What's the purpose of the energy?]


It seems creative, maybe

powerful; well it seems obviously

powerful but that almost

seems, can't say directed, but it seems

to have some kind...of it's not completely

random maybe there's either intelligence

behind it or a clockwork or process.


I kind of see it coming in and

down and about.


Should I do a movement exercise or

continue exploring?


[Just continue exploring the

other aspects that come in about the

target.]


I perceive like two hands holding light.


...almost like if someone picked up

water in their hands from a water source

and was holding it

up and then like the Twilights in the

distance or a source of light in the

distance golden light or

something. Maybe this is

symbolic; I don't know if there's like a

story related to

this. I sort of get the sense of a

Noah's flood, older tale, or history about

it suddenly; maybe it's just something

passing.


[Explore that bit if you want to]


I see this man who reminds me of a

magician, like an alchemist, or Galileo

type, and I see a clock type device, Hands of

Time sort of feeling, and it's like an alchemical

feel around this and the person. If this person

is indeed related to this target, they seem like

they've done some sort of energy work,

inside work, or clearing or there's pure intent and

connection. There's this golden energy and

I think he said that he was an explorer.


Hands of time, whatever that means...


[Can you describe the subjects appearance?]


I want to say he has like almost sort of

a robe maybe, it's dark or

purplish, sort of

like velvety or

satin, um I first perceived him as like a

gray beard sort of Orson Wells in his older

years.


Kind of serious-looking or intense

perhaps. Let me retry that. I get the word

firebrand. Maybe that's his personality.


[What was that word, sorry]


Firebrand, Firebrand.

Yes so maybe intense, fiery,

or kind of, again as I said alchemical

feeling, Merlin-esque, or Galileo or

a combination.


Let me see what he's about.


This person definitely seems to have a

beard, and it's almost like etched in

history, like you would see these epic

drawings depicting like a beard, iconic


and there's this feeling

of "oh, the stories I could tell" or "you

don't you don't even know" or you know

that kind of

thing, so old tales or stories

or epic history perhaps.


Seems like a firebrand but kind of imposing;

this tense energy, maybe large in size,

possibly roundish, or rotund, kind of sitting

in a chair or that's more like a ornate throne

-like chair.


[go ahead describe the subject's

purpose]


I see some older images,

like this clothing now seems rather

either Egyptian,

or Pharaoh-like, let's just say, or it could

even be a different culture; it could

be there's some kind

of golden purple or

something Platinum.

decor, I don't know what;

I even thought

of Atlantean just because of the weird

designs.


So in saying pharaoh-like and I've

described this throne I am getting some

images of about someone with

power, possibly a ruler, but I see

around possible subjects or

just older period people walking

around, peers or subjects and then I saw

weather, rain, thunder, so something to do

with weather whether.


Kenneth Grant - A.O.S.
Kenneth Grant - A.O.S.

It's just related to it, um affecting it,

controlling it, or responsible,

or I don't know, I'm trying

to see but that's just kind of

a sort of set of images, could be AOL;

there seem to be some pretty heavy

dark rain clouds above this going to have to AOL

again Noah's it was Ark, or flood or Moses, or

something, could be some strife around

this, struggle; if there really was a

flood but some kind of timetable or time stamp

in history.


I guess see some dark brooding images.


[what kind of

images?]


It's possibly like people, I don't know

if they're on the water or they're just

on structures,

or seems to be an event going on and

there's, I see sort of this golden energy

like overcast, like if you had

something weather related

or cosmic related or something in the

sky causes this cast of glow or something,

I don't know, I can't tell if it's weather or

cosmic; people working overtime to

struggle against.


Something, whether

it's prepare, or flee, or man the ship, or

row the boat. I see also a

foresty tree section that's just like

overtaken by light and behind

these tree

leaves

or row or canopy not quite a canopy of

trees but behind there there's

like this gold crispy

energy setting down over the trees.


I guess I don't...


[Can you hear any sounds Associated

to this target?]


There's some kind of high

pitched metallic

tension, tensile metallic,

uh tensing sound or piercing sound. I

don't know what it

is it's kind of hard to get

sounds right

now. Instead I've got, I had

some imagery or art from older period

more, Baroque

type art, I

guess, like that.


[what did you say?]


imagery,

imagery and art, like sort of

Baroque style

or middle ages,

medieval type art ,or Renaissance, or

before, like friar in the courtyard sort of

painting, or kingsmen,

or I don't know what, but I just see more

of the the colors and stuff.


But feels like I'm all over the place.

Maybe the kind of art you would see on

an old tarot card or fable something,


Maybe it's about an event in the past.


Tarot card created by A.O.S.
Tarot card created by A.O.S.

Do you have anywhere you want me to

move to or focus on or any

question?


[I think I think at this point

you should just see what else comes

through]


okay


[if there's anything else that's

relevant to the target]


As I zoom out I see like shifting

away from dark seas, waters ,stormy

sort of depicted in art, uh drawings,

uh shoreline, sea salt,

misty water spray

type; I guess I'll leave it at that.


Unless you think it warrants exploring

further.


It's neither good or bad.


[I think we could leave it at that...unless

there's anything else that you want to add]


Let me give it one more one more

go. I just get the feeling of Old

World tale, or grand tale not

necessarily that it's all fiction or

anything, but the kind of thing you

might depict in an antique model

of this place, event, time, like a model

ship depicted or event sort of like an

old seagoing journey, old adventures,

or epic tales.


Austin O. Spare - The Necromancers
Austin O. Spare - The Necromancers

Sources and links of interest:




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