The clue about my new subject came with the wind. It was expected through the mail, but after an unprecedented explosion in the post office -a product of overwhelming anticipation for the upcoming Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon- the wind took over the deliveries that the fire failed to eliminate. Only a small piece of half burned paper had survived, with the words: “Eyes with neither artifice nor evasion”. It was one of the more clear clues that I had received for a long time. I knew exactly where to find this amazing subject. The Year of the Dragon was approaching promising not to disappoint…
We were told to expect them. Every photographic investigator was preparing for the arrival of the little people from outer -or inner- space. But none of them was as blessed as I was with valuable faithful helpers and mysterious clue providers. The message came written in a piece of kitchen paper roll: “They are well dressed”. So I started photographically investigating shops for extremely well dressed little people.
My latest assignment was a girl-wonder named Natalia, the daughter of a well investigated subject of mine, Nadia. She was the protagonist of many of my previous photographic investigations like “The girl from Ipanema”, “The long good bye”, “The fantastic smile method” and a few others… Nadia was back and along came the amazing child who made it clear, only a few moments into our first encounter, that she was a photographic investigator herself. I immediately foresaw many more fruitful photographic encounters. Who would be photographically investigating who now, is a whole new subject by itself.
A photographic investigator knows -after having watched numerous subjects- that Florence Scovel Shinn has been right all along: There is an immediate supply for every demand if you show active faith. That means, being sure that everything you desire or require is already on your pathway and giving thanks for this endless supply that is at your disposal at any time. Acting on faith, if a subjects needs money, she buys a bigger wallet, if she wants an adventurous travel she buys an amazing suitcase, if she wants success, she assumes the quality of a successful person. “I see clearly my inexhaustible supply” is her mantra.
Far far away is an invention of the mind. Because, in reality there is no “there”, there is only “here”. Likewise, there no “then”, there is only “now”.
A photographic investigation that took place while I was reflecting on the answer Neville Goddard gave to the question: “How could one who was deprived in his youth become a success in life?”
A photographic investigator knows that her subjects have been instructed, early in their life, to start constructing a story about themselves -enriched over the years with bits of experience, failures, successes, oppressed feelings and desires- and then believe it to be true. So naturally they get trapped in that story, rarely managing to escape it’s limitations. But she also knows that in a twinkling of the eye this truth can be realised and the subjects can write a different story, preferably one of harmony, radiance, health, wealth, love and perfect self expression. A happy story.
Zenobia is not just the name of the warrior queen of Palmyra (or of her incarnation) but is also the name of a distant planet. It’s inhabitants have no real existence - they are various moods that make their presence known only by attaching themselves to the matching vibration of a visitor. I took my subject with me in yet another inter-dimensional journey in order to photographically investigate these Zenobian moods. You can see the results of my investigation.
There is an infinite power, a universal consciousness that manifests herself as planets, worlds, people and cities and Venice comes right out of her radiant heart.
Since I had to leave the Caribbean to photographically investigate the Lina Ivers case (see previous blog post) I thought that I might as well take care of another assignment, about Vappulin, a new vibrational method that has the ability to help you re-magnetise -in case you have been de-magnetised- all the wonderful things that belong rightfully to you. it is so easy, most people find it impossible to practise. It works differently for everyone, in the sense that everyone has to find their own affirmation that “clicks” , energising in that way the magnetising vibration. My subject used the following: “I am harmonious, happy, healthy and radiant, free from the tyranny of fear. My happiness is built upon a rock”. She said it had miraculous results.
I was on vacation, photographically investigating only the tropical scenery. I was in my beach house in Guadeloupe enjoying a beer in my veranda, eating a spicy carribean curry and watching with some friends a favourite film noir, “The strange love of Martha Ivers”. And then Mathieu, my faithful housekeeper, brought me the bottle. A bottle that was washed on the beach a few seconds ago, right in front of my house - a bottle with a message. My employers always know were to find me - because I let them of course. The message contained some clues about my next subject. One of them was her name, Lina. I was ready to send the bottle back to the Caribbean sea - I was on vacation after all! But some details of my subject’s description and the mystery that surrounded her caught my attention. And once that happens to a photographic investigator, there is no turning back. But I was going to stick to my plan for the night. I was going to call my assignment “The strange love of Lina Ivers” and that would only be the first part of her story. To be continued…
Her bags were packed for Guadeloupe, in the Carribean. So were my bags. The Carribean was the first stop in the new direction that her career as a romance/mystery novelist was taking… I met my subject the afternoon before her departure in a small coffee shop. She had a one way ticket so I had to book the same flight as her, as I wasn’t about to leave her sight. A long photographic investigation was beginning. But I sure wasn’t complaining…
The tricky thing with the Menu of Life is not so much WHAT to order, but HOW to order… The menu consists of all the things one can possibly imagine -therefore CAN have- but usually people think that someone must bring to them whatever they choose while they hold in their hands the menu of a self service establishment. Nevertheless, as a photographic investigator, it is my job (and my pleasure) to photographically investigate the efforts of my subjects to order. I always wish that they succeed, but I can’t intervene. You see, there are rules in my profession…
She was born and lived most of her life in this place called the Tower. It was a dreadful place that everybody had heard of, but very few had seen. Except for those who lived in it. A stone prison that gave to the most weak of it’s “residents” a certain kind of security and protection. But to the free humans who found themselves there it was nothing but a prison. Recently though a strong -some called it “supernatural”- lightning storm had destroyed the Tower. Everyone was free. Either they wanted to or not. My assignment was to photographically investigate the survivors, the free ones, the ones who had managed to walked away from the debris. She was among them. Some said that it was her actions that provoked the destruction of the Tower… But it wasn’t my job to find out.
While I was photographically investigating her, Gabrielle was singing “Should I stay” and although she didn’t hear it, it seamed like it was the soundtrack of this moment of her life. So I knew instantly what this investigation was all about. Because, as you know, they usually don’t tell me…
She came from the future just to observe. Her mission had the code name “Incognito”, but how could she be incognito? My mission was to photographically investigate her and I never fail. Perhaps a more suitable name for her mission would be… “Beware of the Photographic Investigator”. But how could it be? Nobody in the future knew I existed. I know, I have checked it out myself.
I was obsessed with that new TV series, A Discovery of Witches and suddenly, wherever I looked in Venice, I saw vampires, witches and demons… I also realised that there were bewitched places that could be seen only with the corner of the eye. Was it “Somebody else’s problem” (as Douglas Adams would say) or was it mine?
I don't know if it was an entrance or an exit. Maybe neither. There was light, so inevitably there were shadows. I remembered an arabic song called "Fly shadow, fly". Could I be investigating -without knowing it- the ability of a shadow to fly? Well, if it could, it should do it followed by this melody.
What can really be the end of a photographic investigator is not travelling in space, but travelling in time. And I've done that a lot... For some unexplained and probably mystical (or totally meaningless) reason, every time I had to travel in time I was going back to Venice. So, my energy resources were every time smaller, although my ticket was getting cheaper and cheaper. It felt like a countdown. "Al fin, que para morir nacimos" as they say in Mexico... "In the end, we are born to die". Who knows? Maybe the end of my photographic investigations would come in the middle, inside the time vortex, outside of time. I wonder if all my work would disappear with me too. It should, I think.
