In various Vedic, Mahayana and Vajrayana schools of Buddhism, the intermediate, transitional, or liminal state between death and rebirth is known as the Bardo. There are also several other kinds of Bardo states. But for the purposes of this Halloween message, let's take a moment this weekend, transitioning from October to November, to focus on the symbolism of the Bardo of death as we enter the month most associated with death.

Whether it's Halloween, Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead), All Saints' Day (La Festa di Ognissanti ; Allerheiligen) or All Souls' Day (Giorno dei Morti; Allerseelen), in general the entire month of November is the seasonal change into darkness, when harvesting is finished, accounts settled, supplies and necessities stored for winter, and when visits to cemeteries and liturgies to the deceased are performed.

With these thoughts in mind, I send out heartfelt blessings of the season, that you may have positive connections with the dearly departed beings (humans and animals) who have touched your life in meaningful and profound ways. Think loving thoughts to them and remember that everything in this life is impermanent, beginning from the moment we're born. So value the preciousness of all that you have - in this moment, while you have it - so that you have no regrets or sadness once it has passed.

Relevant to theme, I'm sharing a lovely video clip I recently discovered - a most noble goodbye to a stalwart Jack-o'-lantern, by Joe Pera (please watch til the end; it's only 2½ minutes!).

The Zaum of Zeena: A Collection of Interviews, Essays, Quotes and Images by Zeena Schreck, edited by Frank Haines, is a monograph originally presented as an art zine at the 10th NY Art Book Fair, at MOMA/PS1, Sept. 17-20, 2015. The limited first edition of 50 sold out immediately. The 2nd edition in zine format, also sold out years ago. Many requests for a reprint inspired this new 3rd edition - now in high quality softcover book format, also offered with autograph option on this site.

Review excerpt by Luca Piccolo:
​"[...] in order to have [a] kind of transcendental experience from a work of art, one needs to develop and learn how to use one's sensory perception in a most supernatural way. Therefore, in the case of Zeena's work, we can only begin to understand the deeper dimensions of her art and music, which are so closely linked to her spiritual path, by developing our own senses and spiritual awareness. We might then come to understand how it is that her creations are "a non-verbal, trans-rational branch of her spiritual teaching." In fact, this is the main theme of the first interview in this book, which happens to be my own interview with Zeena, originally published in WSF (online Italian art journal)."

Review excerpt by Nicholas Diak: "One of the standout qualities of iconic individuals in the post-industrial underground is their ability to be successful in a variety of mediums. The subject matter they explore—occultism, history, literature, magic, criminals, film, Grail studies, taboo topics, etc.—crops up in their songs, short films, books, poetry, art, photography, and a plethora of other outlets. Correlating such output is a daunting task. [...]Zeena Schreck is a multi-media artist, writer, musician famous for Radio Werewolf, and a Tantric Buddhist whose artistic output spans decades. Her newest literary offering is The Zaum of Zeena, a softcover that straddles the zine/book format debuted at the tenth annual New York Art Book Fair at the MoMA PS2 this past September. The alliteration in the title is a re-appropriation of a term for a Russian art movement during World War I that encompassed many fields. In the case of The Zaum of Zeena “zaum” is being used as an umbrella term for Schreck’s many endeavors that are showcased in the book.