There is one book in my library that holds a specific place in my heart, the ninth edition (1987) of the Tantric doctrine of Shaktism by Sir John Woodroffe (who also wrote under the pseudonym of Arthur Avallon). This precious book has sat on my shelves for many years now and its covers is definitely fading with time, yet its content remains fresh and powerful everytime I open a page at random.
At random…. is there such a thing as ‘random’ when we are in fact under the influence of the great Cosmic order? Chaos is what we create in our small world as human beings, what takes us far away from the balance inherent in Nature, and what makes us blind and detached from our original source of creation. What appears randomised or accidental is only what we perceive with our limited awareness, as everything is in fact so deeply intertwined, interconnected according to the Tantric tradition; in fact one of the meaning of the word Tantra is ‘to weave’.
One aspect of the Tantric sadhana is to mend the tears and tangles in our field of awareness. Below are three littles drawings I made in my sketchbook while relaxing on a quiet Spanish beach near Almeria, back in 2022, that represent these holes appearing when we feel separated from the divine field of creation.
I have often expressed Tantra in my art practice, sometimes very figuratively and at other times in a more abstract or symbolic way. This kind of art usually speaks to people who already have an innate understanding of the cosmic laws, it appeals to a more restricted public. The main concept of Tantra is the oneness between supreme Consciousness (called Shiva in sanskrit) and the cosmic Power (called Shakti). My whole approach to life is guided by this duality and yet unity of these two principles. Consciousness is unlimited and yet it contains stillness and balance. Power is also unlimited but it is movement, manifestation and the root of all creation. The well-known symbolic representation of Shiva-Shakti encountered in so many places in India is the Yoni-lingam, where Shakti (as female principle) encircles and loves itself around Shiva (male principle). Below are two versions that I created. This oil painting was done in 2003 and is quite tall ( 178 x 60.5 cm), and the other is a painted terracotta sculpture done in 2007 (20 x 15 x 12 cm).
The wisdom of Tantra is unique and its idiosyncratic practice sets it apart from other religious or spiritual systems. Working with archetypal symbolism, the artist or sadhak (practitioner) focuses essentially on the experience which will then lead to different degrees of awareness.
Whether it is the choice of pigments, the materials or the objects, everything involved in the making of a tantrik artwork or shrine is sacred and holds a deep emotional, psychological and spiritual impact that activates the manifestation of Shakti - Supreme Divine Energy of a feminine nature – which in itself is of manifold possibilities.
Shiva is represented at the centre as a lingam, a simple and solid form that expresses the un-manifested, and it is encircled by Shakti in the shape of a yoni (womb), as a source of all possibilities. Shiva represents consciousness and Shakti is manifested Energy, not only in the cosmos as a whole but in every individual. They are in the ultimate sense one and the same, eternally bound together. In Tantra and Yoga, they represent perfect unity and the dissolution of duality.
Another work that I did is a small oil painting of a Female practitioner of the Tantric path (called Tantrika), the nakedness expresses the dissolution of the ego, and the trident (trishul) she is holding represents the three powers -Will power, Action and Freedom. She sits on a large pot with a coiled snake evoking the Kundalini energy (our dormant yet potent individual consciousness).
As an artist and a Tantrika, the making of sacred artwork as a form of expression helps me unleash a creative force that has a profound effect on my outlook on Life.
From time to time I will write again more about Tantra and my art practice related to it. If you are interested in the subject subscribe to my substrack channel.
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Below are a couple of quotes that I like that I extracted from the book by Sir John Woodroffe.
The will-to-become many (Bahu syam prajaveya) is the creative impulse which not only creates but reproduces an eternal order - J.Woodroffe, ch.1, p6
The Tantra has no notion of some separate far-seeing God. It preaches no such doctrine in it as that God the Creator rules the Universe from Heaven. In the eye of the Tantra the body of the Sadhaka is the Universe. ch.1, p.15