An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. The Last Judgement, William Blake argued, is not a terrifying forthcoming rapture but an awakening present moment, “Whenever any Individual Rejects Error & Embraces Truth”.
Tag: William Blake
The Veiling of Things. Rishi Sunak, William Blake and the Bhagavad Gita.
The appointment of the UK’s latest Prime Minister has prompted much comment, not least because Rishi Sunak is Britain’s first Hindu leader. He was sworn in as an MP with his hand placed upon the Bhagavad Gita, not the Bible. His success is a conspicuous manifestation of the deep links that exist between Indian and… Continue reading The Veiling of Things. Rishi Sunak, William Blake and the Bhagavad Gita.
Awakening in a Caroline Age. King Charles, William Blake & Kathleen Raine
An audio version of this talk can be found at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, via podcast feeds. The text is below. With the death of Queen Elizabeth, the character of King Charles is being pondered and pressed. Many feel they know his views on ecology and architecture, medicine and agriculture. Some are worried that… Continue reading Awakening in a Caroline Age. King Charles, William Blake & Kathleen Raine
“I have conversed with the Spiritual Sun. I saw him on Primose Hill”. William Blake w/ Mark Vernon
Some thoughts on William Blake and cleansing the doors of perception from the vantage of Primose Hill, London. For more of Mark on Blake and others see his talks or his YouTube channel.
JERUSALEM. Lament, tragedy, invocation, cry? William Blake and the play that forgets his name
An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Talks and Thoughts, available via podcast feeds. Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth, starring Mark Rylance, is brilliant. But what can be made of its violence and passion, humour and hedonism, tragedy and emptiness? Returning to the source of the famous words after which the play is… Continue reading JERUSALEM. Lament, tragedy, invocation, cry? William Blake and the play that forgets his name
William Blake and the Psychedelic Renaissance. Seven facets of cultural transformation
Am MP3 version of this talk is at my podcast, Thoughts and Talks, available via podcast feeds. William Blake is famous for his phrase “cleansing the doors of perception”. But he has much, much more to offer the renewed interest in psychedelics underway in our times. He responds to the need for a social and… Continue reading William Blake and the Psychedelic Renaissance. Seven facets of cultural transformation
The Road of Excess Leads to the Palace of Wisdom. William Blake on desire, attention and wanting it all
An MP3 version of the talk is on my Thoughts and Talks podcast, available via your podcast feed. “More! More! is the cry of a mistaken soul, less than All cannot satisfy Man,” wrote William Blake. How we might participate in the All, without consuming more and more, can serve as a summary of Blake’s… Continue reading The Road of Excess Leads to the Palace of Wisdom. William Blake on desire, attention and wanting it all
William Blake and learning from Covid. On dying before you die
This essay is published by Beshara Magazine. The pandemic is said to have exposed modern society to its vulnerabilities. Nowhere is this exposure clearer than in relation to death. Covid has revealed that, nowadays, most people have inadequate ways of relating to this fact of life. The weakness is doubly striking as wisdom and religious… Continue reading William Blake and learning from Covid. On dying before you die
Forging Golgonooza. William Blake on how to do politics & religion
Politics and religion is a question of our times. The role of the church and Christianity is contested in both Russia and the liberal West. William Blake was aware of the failure of politics in his time, recognising it wasn’t ultimately a failure of leadership or practical solutions but of vision. What politics is for?… Continue reading Forging Golgonooza. William Blake on how to do politics & religion
Easter according to William Blake. Resurrection is neither miracle nor mystery
An MP3 version of this talk can be found on my Talks and Thoughts podcast, available via your feed. Is the resurrection a miracle? Are the events of Golgotha a mystery? And what of the resurrection of the body and attempts to prove what happened as an historical fact? William Blake argued passionately that treating… Continue reading Easter according to William Blake. Resurrection is neither miracle nor mystery