T h e M y s t i c A r t i s t

GUARDIAN SPIRITS OF GENIUS

And Aladdin's Genie

(Excerpt from the book, The Mystic Artist by Sandy Frazier)

By Sandy Frazier

"Talent is that which is in a man's power and genius is that in whose power man is."

An artist is guided by the nature of his or her genius. Such genius can be defined in many different ways and is ranked on many levels. Popularly, a genius may be any person with a very high intelligence quotient. Its Latin definition is literally "guardian spirit." In Roman, it is a guardian spirit assigned to a person at birth - a tutelary deity (that watches over or protects like a guardian angel) or either of two spirits, one good and one evil, supposed to influence one's destiny. Another definition is that of a supernatural being that can take human or animal form and influences human affairs - ("jinni") an entity like the genie from Aladdin's Lamp. All this could mean one who has a great natural ability, a great mental capacity and inventive ability that is aided or inspired by otherworldly entities. I believe we are all guided by these entities at times for various purposes along our life paths.

The joy of being an artist is to be a channel or medium where you become sort of "possessed" by your genie. That is natural genius or, rather, the guardian spirits at work. Such a genius is not merely one who possesses talent; he is possessed by his talent and is subject to unconscious motivations, which could explain the source of inspiration which we cannot find words to describe.

Ludwig van Beethoven is a pure example of a genius torn by the magnificently terrible inner struggle of opposing forces, yet who I believe may have been comforted, in his incredible moments of creativity, by his guardians. He wrote distinctly original pieces of music with the newness of the musical language he created, that was frequently misunderstood, yet acclaimed. His music varied from traditional to visionary, from down-to-earth to metaphysical. He demanded a social standing of nobility, yet lived in squalor and dressed shabbily. He was impractical when it came to mundane matters, yet his creative life was held under strict control. He was a great mystic genius absolutely possessed by the guardians of a joy he could never know in life. I wonder if his spirit crossed over to discover the great joys he never could relish while he was alive.

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Concerned with finding an overall meaning, the creative genius tries to discover symbolic equivalents for things and ideas. They prefer intuitive perception to sense perception. The symbols of words, sounds, colours, numbers, etc. are more maneuverable than concrete things. "The conflict between what is and what could be awakens the curiosity and arouses the imagination of the intensely creative person." They want what might be.

We should not ignore our guardian spirits, lest we fail to unify the many sides of who we are. It is by the grace of God that we are blessed with these guides and it is our special purpose, which they hope to rebirth in us time and time again. These angels are the perfect examples - the embodiment of who we seek to be. Guardian spirits of genius are muses - like the Greek sister goddesses in mythology who presided over song and poetry, arts and sciences. They are a source of inspiration to be called upon as we marvel, reflect or dream in deep thought of abstraction. With them, anything is possible ... if you dare to ask! Personal happiness. Creative fulfillment. Success. Freedom from fear. We all possess the ability to achieve these things. It is our mysterious guides -- who offer a great wellspring of confidence and desire -- who allow us to make these wishes come true. And we can reap the riches of a truly well-lived life -- a treasure that comes not from an enchanted lamp, but from the heart So summon your genie and make a wish!