In the Making
Recently I finished Odes To The Divine Mother, a collection of 365 prose poems in honor of the Life Force, commonly considered the “feminine aspect” of God which is imbued in the Cosmos. Divinely Conscious Manifestation in physical form is the matrix of Creation, and is the broad subject of the Odes, noted in situations from everyday Life around me. I have also included paintings and photos from around the world of the Divine Mother, aspects of the feminine presence, that accompany the Odes.
This book is now being edited and formatted by our editor, Lia Schultz, who heads our publishing wing of Immortal Ray Productions. The cover will use this painting of the Divine Mother, I call Divine Mother of Immortality. In many cases I used Ammachi as the model for the paintings. I painted this one in Melbourne, Australia. It is in the collection of Zeroum Law.
This next one is called Divine Mother of Lisboa, painted in Portugal. She is in the collection of Teresa Aguiar.
Another painting included is this work, painted in Uruguay, is of Ammachi with eyes open. It was paired with a painting of Babaji to the left, but here it stands on its own in the Odes. Divine Mother of Uruguay is what i call this one.
This next painting was done in Kiev, Ukraine, shortly before that whole country went into a revolution. Divine Mother of Kiev is in the collection of Gregor Frank, a diplomat for the Slovenian Embassy in Kiev. He was our host during our Kiev stay, along with his fiance, Lyuda Masliy.
Here is the ODE that is paired with the painting done in Kiev, written in India on the banks of the Guatama Ganga River that runs through Haidakhan, Babaji’s home and ashram.
On the Verge of Total Surrender
On the verge of total surrender, I come to the banks of YourLove to make my final release. I await the final step You make
to me. Gathered around me are the souls of liberation. The
water flows swiftly along the channel toward the mighty
Ganges. I prepare myself to let go in this ancient ceremony of
the head shave. The man with the razor sits on a rock waiting
by the water’s edge. “Om Namah Shivay”—the chanting
clarifies the atmosphere as the group circles around in
support. Divine Mother of all letting go, take from me all
thoughts that keep me apart from my highest destiny. I bow
on the banks of the Ganga and relinquish my hair. I immerse
myself in the flowing waters and feel the cold rush of a new
life come into me. I walk across the rocks and change into dry
clothes, entering the present without the residue of the past.
This walk of gratitude is the only way to go into the future. It
calls out to Heaven to come to earth and spread its blanket of
Peace across all lands and into the hearts of the people. I am
fortunate to be in the moment of true liberation. Let me give
thanks and invite Your blessings into my awareness, especially
the ones which are already here. On this day of new
beginnings I step into the purity of this moment, into the
grace of great gratitude, into the eternal flow of divine Shakti
that infuses all things. A quiet rejoicing wells up inside of me,
a song of deep silence which extends into my world. Divine
Mother of this surrender, I give You the thanks of my whole
being. Guide me in Your ways of glorious wonder.
This next painting of the Divine Mother with a heart amidst Her forehead was done in Tallinn, Estonia. Divine Mother of Tallinn was painted in Tallinn last July. One could easily use this painting for a point of meditation.
The last painting I am noting in this article was painted recently in New York at the Omega Institute where Sondra and I participated in a Breath Immersion conference with Stanislav Grof and Jessica Dibb, and other breathworkers from around the world. This one I call Divine Mother of Omega.
I give thanks to all the people along the way who helped to make these Odes and paintings possible. To our students and organizers around the world who have supported Liberation Breathing® and our various spiritual Quests and seminars on relationships. Last but not least, hail to the Divine Mother Herself, the Life Force Energy Source of all manifestations!!
LOVE,
MARKUS RAY
MARKUS RAY'S "ART LOOK" 