Floating Castle

Map
— The Magician's Castle —

CAUTION: the following background philosophy I have provided due to many people asking me about it, but it is not needed to experience and enjoy the artwork. the art is made to stand on its own.

Consciousness as Primary Reality

At the heart of this work lies a radical understanding: consciousness is primary, and the material world is its extrinsic appearance. We are not biological machines struggling to understand an external universe—we are focal points where infinite consciousness gains perspective on itself.

When we recognize ourselves as consciousness exploring itself through embodiment, everything changes. Art becomes a bridge for consciousness expansion. Reality becomes malleable. Creation becomes conscious participation in the universe's self-understanding.

The Magician's Castle framework operates through interconnected metaphors that map the territory of consciousness expansion:

Ari Zed Logo
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The Ground of Being

The infinite consciousness that appears to us as the physical universe. Contains all answers but lacks the ability to ask questions or see itself. It requires a process of extrusion to gain perspective and self-understanding. This extrusion produces the castle: our individuated awareness.

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The Castle

An individual's complete reality tunnel—the ontological structure extruded from the Ground of Being. Contains foundations (often hidden) upon which all experience is built. Must become "graspable" to be consciously navigated. Each castle is uniquely constructed through personal history, beliefs, and imagination, yet shares common structural elements with all human consciousness.

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The Magician

Our higher self that inhabits the castle, creating and receiving avatars. The magician is distinguished from the "Monkey" or the lower self. The Magician evolves the castle through conscious participation; the Monkey stagnates it through unconscious repetition.

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The Theatre

The inner theatre is everything we consciously experience. The Magician interacts with a vast collection of avatars that are in various states of connection and interaction with one another. The world conception is visualised as a grand theatre inside the castle. The structure of the theatre is often changing. There are so many ways for the world to be understood. Whole worlds may exist within this theatre which is vast and cavernous.

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Avatars

Although each of us is separated from others inside our castle we are able to interact through the medium of the ground of being using avatars. We produce and receive avatars that give us pictures of the world, of others and of all ideas. We "emit" avatars into the ground of being even when we are sleeping.

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Transformation

We are able to restructure our theatre and tangentially our castle and the ground of being by interacting with avatars. For instance talking to others or reading a book where we gain avatars through the ground of being. There is another powerful method that draws from unconscious areas whether that be from the castle or further afield, and this is active imagination.

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Ideal Active Imagination Process

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Move Away
From small self identification and limiting beliefs. (somehow take yourself out of your monkey mind.)
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Look Into
Infinite being and expanded awareness. (sometimes you just need to choose to say yes)
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Dialogue
With consciousness through imagination. (ask questions and answer them.)
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Love
Extend love to your antithesis and it becomes synthesis. This integration of chaos produces beauty. Find beauty. When truth and morality become unclear, beauty provides reliable navigation toward expanded consciousness.
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Embody
Insights through creative expression. Unite opposing forces—masculine/feminine, order/chaos, transcendence/embodiment. The process of embodiment makes things graspable, and continues the process.

Art as Consciousness Bridge

In this view of reality artwork is a bridge. A tool that people can use to project and generate meaning. Spatial constructions of meaning.

Each painting becomes what I call a "meaning-generating machine" dense with symbolism like tarot cards, rich delights for people to bite into. I myself may not fully have "read" their meaning before creating them, but just like tarot, they're meaningful tools for self-transformation for those willing to do the work.

This is why I call my work "psychic landscape painting." These aren't illustrations of mystical concepts but functional catalysts for consciousness expansion, designed to seduce viewers into recognition of their own reality-creation capabilities.

Enter the Alchemical Workshop

Ready to see how this philosophical framework manifests in daily creative practice? Discover the actual methods and consciousness exploration practices behind the artworks.

Witness the Creative Process →