G. Michael Vasey's Blog: The Wacky World of Dr. Vasey, page 5
July 1, 2020
Episode 4 – Imagination and Reality
Join me and listen in as I explore growing up and seeing the world as magical…..
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June 19, 2020
I Scared a Ghost!
Episode 3 of the Magical world of G. Michael Vasey podcast (tune in here or iTunes etc.) released June 20th, features writer Thomas Bauerle. Thomas wrote a book about Japanese ghosts and his experiences with the paranormal in Japan that has sold well called – Kanashibari – True Encounters with the Paranormal in Japan.
He discusses many of his experiences in the podcast including the time he scared a shadow man ghost…
G Michael Vasey – Music · The Magical World of G. Michael Vasey – Episode 3 – I scared a ghost!
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Thomas Bauerle has lived an entire lifetime of experiencing the paranormal and he talks about many of those experiences in the podcast. A particular focus of the book is Kanashibari, which is the Japanese equivalent of the Old Hag or sleep paralysis. He says such experiences are very common in Japan. Join us and learn more about the paranormal of Japan… You can catch the show here from tomorrow.
Kanashibari – True Encounters of the Paranormal of Japan.
By Thomas Bauerle
[image error]Kanashibari: A ghost that comes to people in their sleep and holds them down so they can’t move. Often, besides being held immobile, the victim of a kanashibari will also hear voices, and be approached by various spiritual entities.
Discover the seriously scary side of one of the oldest cultures in the world in this brand-new spectral-packed paranormal release from author Thomas Bauerle!
If you are curious about the afterlife, you will find this book intriguing. You’ve read about poltergeists? You know about the Enfield haunting? You know about Amityville? But what do you know about the ghosts of Japan?
Thomas Bauerle provides us with story after terrifying story of true encounters with Japanese ghosts, spirits, poltergeist, and other scary phenomena including his own creepy experiences with the supernatural in his adopted home – Japan.
Some of the events described in this book are so terrifying that they may live with you for several days. But if you are serious about educating yourself about the paranormal – this book has to be on your list.
Let me ask you this. Do you want to experience real chills rolling down your spine? Yes?
Then download your copy of Kanashibari: True Encounters with the Supernatural of Japan right now.
And remember…only the strong survive….
Includes chapters on gaijin and ghosts, kanashibari, Japanese seers, Japanese ghostbusters, family ghost encounters, haunted places in Japan, Kokkurisan, and ghostly footprints….
Excerpts:
“We began to hear the sound of someone moving around upstairs when there was no one there. The sound of walking and furniture being moved.”
“My body, arms, and legs couldn’t move! And I couldn’t breathe! And I had no voice to speak!”
“A Zahiki-Warashi is a ghost that looks like a young child and inhabits your house. If you treat it kindly, it will bring good fortune to you and your household.”
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June 14, 2020
In Search of Winchester in Hungary – The Last Kingdom Set
I only started watching The Last Kingdom recently and consumed all 4 series just like that! It’s a brilliant show and set during a fascinating part of English history as the Saxons fought off the Vikings and tried to build what would become England out of a number of smaller countries. The show itself is really well done and quite compelling viewing. Recently, watching some videos of cast members ‘a day in the life of’, I discovered it is filmed largely just outside Budapest. Yes, the lockdown is to blame…
Anyway, this weekend, I went to Hungary – to Budapest – for the first time since the borders re-opened in central Europe. On Saturday, we set off on a quest to find the Winchester in Hungary….
We travelled first to a film studio west of Budapest where we thought perhaps the show was filmed. Its a pretty large place with several huge buildings and outdoor sets but I did not recognize anything. They were doing a tour but it would be only in Hungarian and included nothing much from the show. They did tell us the set was nearby but would not tell us where.
Korda Studios website reveals the Last Kingdom set as ‘medieval backlot’ and as you can see, it’s a huge facility. It is located in the village of Etyek – a beautiful and famous wine making area of Hungary. As the RadioTimes reported..
Vicky Delow, producer on Netflix‘s The Last Kingdom, said: “I think the main set is a huge part of the show’s success. It’s an incredible place to be. One of the most amazing things about it is when you drive to it, you drive over a hill and the whole thing is revealed before you.
“And even though it’s a mishmash of different streets and different towns, it’s incredible to look at and it’s incredibly detailed… It’s a beautiful, wonderful thing to behold and you really do believe it when you see it on screen.”
Not to be stopped, we started googling and soon discovered the name of the village (Göböljárás). After a wrong turn and a bit of a detour, we eventually found the village and as luck would have it, stumbled on the set immediately. Access was not restricted (although you could not get in the set). As Vicky Delow says above, you come to the brow of a hill and look down and there it is….
The location is beautiful and set by a large lake where there is a large fishing club. It didn’t take me long to realize that the area covered in large reeds was where the Alfred burns the cake sequences were also filmed and we found the set built among the reeds as well. I’m sure the cast must enjoy staying in the area and the beautiful Hungarian scenery.
With objective achieved, I set about taking a whole bunch of photos before we went in search of an open restaurant…
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https://garymvasey.net/2020/06/14/vis...
I only started watching The Last Kingdom recently and consumed all 4 series just like that! It’s a brilliant show and set during a fascinating part of English history as the Saxons fought off the Vikings and tried to build what would become England out of a number of smaller countries. The show itself is really well done and quite compelling viewing. Recently, watching some videos of cast members ‘a day in the life of’, I discovered it is filmed largely just outside Budapest. Yes, the lockdown is to blame…
Anyway, this weekend, I went to Hungary – to Budapest – for the first time since the borders re-opened in central Europe. On Saturday, we set off on a quest to find the Winchester in Hungary….
We travelled first to a film studio west of Budapest where we thought perhaps the show was filmed. Its a pretty large place with several huge buildings and outdoor sets but I did not recognize anything. They were doing a tour but it would be only in Hungarian and included nothing much from the show. They did tell us the set was nearby but would not tell us where.
Korda Studios website reveals the Last Kingdom set as ‘medieval backlot’ and as you can see, it’s a huge facility. It is located in the village of Etyek – a beautiful and famous wine making area of Hungary. As the RadioTimes reported..
Vicky Delow, producer on Netflix‘s The Last Kingdom, said: “I think the main set is a huge part of the show’s success. It’s an incredible place to be. One of the most amazing things about it is when you drive to it, you drive over a hill and the whole thing is revealed before you.
“And even though it’s a mishmash of different streets and different towns, it’s incredible to look at and it’s incredibly detailed… It’s a beautiful, wonderful thing to behold and you really do believe it when you see it on screen.”
Not to be stopped, we started googling and soon discovered the name of the village (Göböljárás). After a wrong turn and a bit of a detour, we eventually found the village and as luck would have it, stumbled on the set immediately. Access was not restricted (although you could not get in the set). As Vicky Delow says above, you come to the brow of a hill and look down and there it is….
The location is beautiful and set by a large lake where there is a large fishing club. It didn’t take me long to realize that the area covered in large reeds was where the Alfred burns the cake sequences were also filmed and we found the set built among the reeds as well. I’m sure the cast must enjoy staying in the area and the beautiful Hungarian scenery.
With objective achieved, I set about taking a whole bunch of photos before we went in search of an open restaurant…
likeheartlaughterwowsadangry0
The post https://garymvasey.net/2020/06/14/visiting-the-set-of-the-last-kingdom/ appeared first on The Magical World of G. Michael Vasey.
June 12, 2020
The Magical World of G. Michael Vasey – Episode 2: Talking Magic and The Initiate with Sue Vincent
[image error]In this episode, I continue investigating the idea of ‘connecting with the land’ talking with Sue Vincent, who together with Stuart France, has been doing exactly that in the UK for the last several years and written a series of 8 books detailing their investigations. We discuss some of the locations that got them started that are documented in their book ‘The Initiate’ and consider the nature of Earth energies and indeed magic itself.
About Sue Vincent
I am a Yorkshire born painter and writer, living in the south of England. I paint the strange things that come as images in dreams and fantasies and write about life as it happens.
I was raised in a spiritually eclectic family in a landscape where myths and legends were woven into the stones, and have always had an intimate relationship with the inner worlds and the understanding that all paths are but spokes on a wheel, leading ultimately to the same centre. It is not the path that one walks that matters, but how one chooses to walk it.
I have been a student of the Mysteries for most of my life, studying alone for many years before joining the Servants of the Light. In 2012 I joined Steve Tanham as Director of the Silent Eye School of Consciousness, a modern Mystery School that seeks to strip back many of the layers in which esoteric thought has become shrouded and teach students a way to find the inherent magic in living and being.
The School is not a business and is run simply and ethically to cover its own costs, not make a profit. The Silent Eye website has a blog, news and events section. We hold regular workshops and events and an annual weekend residential workshop in Derbyshire… details on the Silent Eye home page.
As a painter, I play in most media and have painted everything from wedding cakes to huge murals. I spent a long time chasing realism, until I found the confidence to paint what I saw in the colours that sing to me.
As a writer, I have always scribbled. Poetry came first, I think, and I was fortunate enough to win the David Burland International Poetry Prize in 2008. In that year also I began writing a column for The Spirit Guides. It was a busy year, as I was teaching online with various esoteric forums and made the acquaintance of Dr G. Michael Vasey. The friendship grew and we released The Mystical Hexagram, recently republished as an extended and updated edition.
In 2013 a writing partnership was born that has proved a joy. Stuart France, now the third in the triad of Directors of the Silent Eye, and I embarked, all unknowing, on an adventure that would take us across the sacred landscape of Albion and which has resulted in the publication of a number of books together, with more to come. We have an enormous amount of fun in our wanderings and wonderings, which may reflect somewhat in the way we write.
In 2009 my eldest son, Nick, was left for dead, stabbed through the brain in an unprovoked attack. Many of the earlier entries here chart his remarkable and near miraculous journey and the fallout the attack had on the family. An event like this changes everything, including one’s outlook. Luckily, for us it changed it for the better and love and laughter thrive.
Apart from that, I have two adult sons, too many books (or not enough….) and a mad dog who also blogs when I let her near the keyboard…
You can contact me via the form on my contact page, where you will also find the principal social media links.
And yes, that was a lucky shot.
Podcast Links and Information
More information about Sue Vincent can be found at her website – https://www.scvincent.com.
Her author page on Amazon is to be found at https://www.amazon.com/Sue-Vincent/e/B00F2L730W.
The Initiate can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F73ETDO/
The Mystical Hexagram by Vasey & Vincent can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/Mystical-Hexagram-Seven-Inner-Stars-ebook/dp/B016SIV6LY/
Chasing the Shaman can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0883DM68L/
The Dilemma of Fatherhood poetry collection – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B2K6FKQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i9
Intro Music – Silly Me by G. Michael Vasey.
Outro music – It’s my Life by G. Michael Vasey
Music available at iTunes, Spotify and other music stores.
All content © G. Michael Vasey
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June 10, 2020
Taking on Perun
Encouraged by my current reading of Alan Richardson’s latest book – Dark Magery – I have been exploring the God form. It’s not something I have ever attempted much in the past but for the last few days, I have been knocking on Perun’s door. Perun is the slavic God of thunder and one of the most important in the pantheon. I must say, at first, I got nothing much at all and was rather disappointed but then last night, I had some very strange dreams….. and today in short session where I took on the form of Perun in my imagination, some very strange thoughts.
What I sensed was that Perun and the slavic culture of that time was really quite alien compered to now. For them, I got the idea that death was not much of an issue as for them the shadow side of life existed in balance with that of the living. Perhaps we would think that life was held in scant regard and was cheap but this I feel would be a tremendously wrong simplification. The feeling I got was that the afterlife or the underworld was there – a very thin veil separated the two – so it wasn’t that life was cheap – it was in fact venerated I feel – but when you sense that the afterlife is right there and almost visible or accessible – then the transition from living to dead simply isn’t the massive thing we would think of now. This strange sense of living alongside the dead and never lived was truly an alien feeling that entered my perception and I cut short the session to write it here…. It seemed to me to be a aha moment in fact sitting there in meditation assuming the form of Perun in my mind.
[image error]Perun of course, is counterbalanced by Veles, Slavic God of the underworld and the two are perpetually fighting but essentially balance is maintained via this conflict. The two worlds exist side by side and the thinnest of veils separate them at either end of the mighty oak symbolizing the world.
Being a man that never saw much value in developing a physique, the other part of taking on the form of Perun is the bulk of muscle and now I rather regret not having buffed up a bit. It actually feels pretty good to be muscular! However, it was the realisation of how alien a world the slavic world may have been by modern standards that permeated my consciousness. What this helped me understand is how transient things are and how the current emerging culture of politically correct, avoidance of any perceived offensiveness and so on seems to be totally at odds with the progress of humanity despite what some people may believe. It is only through being offended, hurt, wounded and so on that we learn and grow I would say so to avoid that seems counterproductive. In particular, this smug habit of looking back and judging characters of a certain time by today’s supposedly superior standards and condemning our ancestors as racists and so on is also actually counterproductive – they lived in their time, to their standards and we have no basis to judge them or their times. Rather, we should seek to understand their environment and learn from it.
This brings me to another topic altogether. One of naming things. By giving something a name, we identify it as separate to ourselves. More and more, I hear my 13-year old daughter using these names to blame others for some trait – e.g. transphobic and so on….. I keep telling her that people are individuals with their own battles, demons, fears and battles to fight. When she names them using such terminology, I suggest she may be doing them the injustice of dumbing down them down to a caricature of something she actually fears within herself. Of course, she looks at me like I am crazy. Perhaps I am.
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June 9, 2020
Czechia
[image error]My recent little book – Chasing the Shaman – seems to be doing quite well. It’s not one I expect to make the bestsellers list but I think it will find its audience through time. Talking of the book, author and magician Alan Richardson just kindly left this 5-star review on Amazon.co.uk.
To my shame I know nothing about the Czech Republic, and could not point out its location on a map. Nor could I offer you even the smallest morsel of information about its history or its myths, legends and deities. Yet Gary Vasey, a Yorkshireman, has shown that by making contact with the Spirit of the Land, Czechia can be seen as universal, with marvels that can resonate with all of us everywhere. He tells his story in a simple, chatty, personal way that gives the book a lot of energy. You can empathise with his initial feelings of alienation and personal hurt in the opening chapter, and appreciate the ways in which he overcomes this, thanks to the innate magick he finds within the Land. By the end of the book you’ll end up going back through it to make note of the various ‘places of power and light’ around Brno that were hiding in plain sight all along, and say to yourself: ‘Hmmm…. I want to go there!’ With the help of this little book, you already have…
Many thanks to him for that.
This morning, I realized this was actually my second book about the Czech Republic – Czechia for short. Back a few years ago, I put out The Czech Republic – The Most Haunted Country in the World. Not a straight forward ghost story book however, it is more a guide to the myths, legends and paranormal in the country. It’s been a constant seller in paperback and kindle formats probably appealing to tourists looking for information on the country. I flicked through it this morning and to my surprise found references even in it to Templars! I must have forgotten or really paid little attention at the time of writing…
Anyway, I determined to have a crack at a longer second edition of this book. I figure it deserves to be one of those living books that I add to periodically the longer I live here and the more I explore. So, that may be my next project. In the paperback, I did put in some photos but again, I have many much better photos that would do much more justice than the ones I placed in the original. If only color photography didn’t make a book so damned pricey!
These days, photography is another passion – I am a man with an iphone looking for something to point it at! One use of that is I now use my own images for book covers. The Shaman book cover is a treated photograph on the Brno Castle hill for example. The cover of the Czech ghost book was the first time I used my own photography for a cover and the image of a claw behind the Czech flag is mine. It is of an exhibit at Houska Castle – Otherwise know as The Gates to Hell.
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June 7, 2020
Original WordPress Site
Back in 2015, I decided I wanted my own site with complete freedom over how it looked and worked. This is that site. However, for many years prior, I’d had the site on WordPress. You can still visit the WordPress site from the top menu.
Just recently, I realised there is something valuable about being part of that community over at WordPress. So, I have started posting there again and reorganised it a bit. Some articles will appear there and here going forward – perhaps most. I don’t know yet but I will maintain the other site as well as this one.
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A Little Bowie in There?
I recently read a review of my 2019 album – The Anatomy of Love. It wasn’t the first time someone mentioned Bowie in a passing reference to my music but I have to say, it is a huge honor to ever be likened in any way at all to David Bowie – Rock God. Here is the review…
The Anatomy of Love by G. Michael Vasey is a creative project by the Czech singer-songwriter with an ear for catchy melodies and European influences. Enjoyable tracks such as “Girl On The Phone” and “Free” demonstrate G. Michael Vasey’s unique talent and attention to detail through each song. Explosive guitar riffs and clean production values are prevalent through the entirety of The Anatomy of Love to express emotion and personality all its own. Fans of mod rock acts such as David Bowie can enjoy this eclectic album to enjoy through their headphones or playing loud on their speakers to sing along to……
I have spent some of the evening watching interviews of the great man and listening to his music spanning almost all of my life. I finally saw him live in The woodlands, Texas on his last tour….. something I never managed with my other rock hero – Marc Bolan. Though I had planned to go see T. Rex in 1977, something came up. Months later, he was dead.
Music has always been incredibly important to me. It speaks to me and it leaks from my soul. I recall walking home from school in the 70’s singing a song in my head and suddenly, it became real to me. I now know it was a form of meditation taking me to another level of consciousness but at the time, I adored this ability. It was like having a private performance. Even now, to write poetry, I listen to Steven Wilson’s music and it immediately inspires me to write. My volume of poetry – Moon Whispers – was written in its entirety to Blackfield II – by Blackfield, another Steven Wilson incarnation.
Above all, I find I just have to be constantly creating – words, music, images…. I seem to tap into something deeper – some part of me, some part of reality, some part of the All – and bring something of it out…. my art is important to me as it explores the edges of reality – the edges of me. Bowie still has something in his music – whether from his first album to the last – that echoes from the edges of that reality…..warps it even, breaks it apart and reconstructs it in a way I get.
Here is a poem from Moon Whispers…
The Power of A Song
It’s just a song
But it echoes of yesterday.
Memories are triggered
By a simple set of chords.
Images floating on by
Regrets or perhaps simply
Happy cherished memories.
The simple power of a song
Was that a good time?
If only I could go back there
Meet people and go back to places
Now long gone and passed by
Perhaps meaningless at the time
Taken in with that fleeting feeling
Of immortality that only comes
With the arrogance of our youth.
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June 5, 2020
Rain
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Rain moves across my field of vision
A curtain of silver sparkles falling, falling
I marvel how water runs with such precision
Packets of water jostling their way downhill
The air is heavy with warmth and moisture
A heavy drip drips upon my dampened hair
A sound wave ripples by – crashing thunder
Petrichor could indeed be bottled and sold
Become vogue among natural fragrance
The scent of choice for elementals
A statement made simply by chance
The patter of water droplets on the window
Helps me sleep and totally relax
I adore walking in the rain – drenched
Rain, water in motion and nature’s syntax
Washing away my anger and my pain
A gift from the Gods – a statement
And cleansing for all the profane
[image error]
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