LIQUID GOLD

LIQUID GOLD

This essay is dedicated to the original visual metaphor of LIQUID GOLD. Understanding, and recognizing LIQUID GOLD as a concept in our life is an essential keystone for the realization process of THE MAKING OF YOUR DREAM. (as well as provide the background story of how I came up with the visual metaphor)

The word Gold has manydifferent historical connotations across the globe. The precious metal has been a symbol of wealth and status for thousands of years. But this sense of value related to the material is less superficial than most of us are aware of. The material of gold has qualities like no other, suited for spiritual and sacred applications. It has been used, by ancient cultures and societies such as the Mayans, ancient Egyptians and kingdoms of Mesopotamia, and probably is used for spiritual practices till this day by those who have access to it.

• The Alchemists, are known for their pursuit to transform any matter into gold. But just like most spiritual and religious stories, it's not to be taken literally. Just like Joseph Campbell (?) said; the lowest form of religious and spiritual interpretation of texts and scriptures is literal. The highest one is metaphorical.• The alchemists scientists were never speaking about the pursuit to create Gold through chemical scientific formulas and equations, they were aiming to cultivate Gold within themselves. Now what this means, is something as complex as understanding what GOD is. One cannot describe it, teach it or learn it. It’s something you can only 'discover' by yourself.Whenever I speak of LIQUID GOLD, I am referring to this same metaphysical and metaphorical energy the alchemists base their practice on. Yet, the mystery of LIQUID GOLD lies in the connection with our inner fire, and ability to connect to others through our authentic self. It’s essentially the unconditionally loving and universally heartfelt energy of our soul pouring out into the world. The challenge of the so-called 'alchemists of LIQUID GOLD' lies in our journey finding the right kindling tools for our inner heart fire.

The definition of LIQUID GOLD I developed for presentations and use as a footnote for essays is:LIQUID GOLD is the fragile energy in the smallest moments of connection with others that makes for the true value of life.

Too many people have forgotten their value in life and the importance, potency and impact of their presence. I’ve come to realize that the universe communicates with us and guides us towards the right places with a language mostly described as mere 'luck' and 'coincidence'. But it's not just luck & coincidence, it's LUCK & COINCIDENCE!Our world is filled with magic for those who are open to embrace it. There's a mystical force constantly present and more than willing to help us realize our dreams. It's guiding us through signs and people of good will. I myself have been guided for a long time without knowing it, until I became aware of it. And slowly, as I got to meet more and more strangers and new people as well as temporary friends during travels and busking, I understood that I am as much of a stranger to them as they are to me. The luck received from them, hosting me at their home, helping me with travels, or gestures of kindness, just by being kind, open-hearted and good-willing humans, is within my ability to provide for them as well.I experienced myself what the impact of someone's compliment, smile, nod or a coin as a token of appreciation can be for a busker. It inspired me to carry this spirit of kindness within myself and started to give to anyone in need whatever I had to offer. If not money, then kindness.My musical presence had great impact on hosts and new friends. Sometimes providing them with a literal once in a lifetime experience, doing something I practice every day; make music, fun, dances, and shared love.I understood something; the universe is endlessly lucky and coincidental, but we are the universe as well for others around us. And therefore we have the responsibility to be lucky and coincidental for others as well. To me this is what it means to live in the energy of GOD. To open up, surrender, and dedicate your life to helping others through the practice of embodying your true authentic self. To allow your soul to express itself through the Ego, meaning we are standing in an energy of unconditional love and understanding to all living beings around us.

LIQUID GOLD is the invisible energy representing the feeling of this state of being. It can only occur whenever we are true to ourselves and kindle our heart fire with the right tools in life. That is whenever the Authentic GOLD within us becomes liquid and we can share it with others in small moments of connection.It does not matter who you are, what you do. The magical mystery of it is that you are in a state of fulfillment and happiness that is super contagious and universally understood. It's a language of feeling, hiding in the activity we are cultivating. May it be reading a book in the park, making music on the streets, taking a walk with your dog. If it makes your fire burn, LIQUID GOLD will flow and you are able to connect with anyone under any condition collaboratively creating a shared moment of love and connection.

LIQUID GOLD is the invisible energy guiding us towards our dream. This is because our DREAM is a feeling and not an image. Which I illustrate using with my own life experiences in the essay; THE MAKING OF MY DREAM giving an insight in the realization process of my personal DREAM as an example for others.Our DREAM is your northern star to follow and LIQUID GOLD is your compass. Every time you feel liquid gold consciously in a moment of connection, you know that you are realizing your dream. Realizing in two ways; you become aware of the things you should do, people to surround yourself with, and places to be that help you kindle your fire and melt your inner GOLD. And Realizing in the sense that you are making it real in practice. Every time you sense the feeling of LIQUID GOLD, you are in fact already living the dream.

This simple truth (which often are the most complex ones to genuinely grasp and understand) came to me at a small living room concert in 2023. A lovely creative singer-songwriter closed the night with some original songs and guided us all in the audience to sing along in canon. It was great fun and even the most shy dared to explore their vocal abilities.After the show I spoke to the performer and she mentioned that despite this show she loved performing for 12 to 15 people, she had much bigger dreams of standing on a big stage. That she's trying to become a creative workshop host and guide singing circles. Her ambition and heartfelt enthusiasm was contagious, yet I felt the necessity to remind her of something I realized in real time;"You mention you have big dreams, bigger than performing for 12 people, but it's important to remember that your dream should not be an image, because it's a feeling you are following. And every time you experience the feeling of what you are aiming to collaboratively create; being creative interaction, you are in fact living the dream already. And the more you follow the moments, places, and activities when you sensed that feeling, the more of your dream will become real life, until every second of your day is your dream and you will not even realize it anymore."

If it was not for the reactions of the people listening over the shoulder of our conversation that I would have probably forgotten this wisdom that came to me. But ever since that day, I have become aware and grateful of all the moments, places and times I get to live, as well as actively create my dream.

The beautiful thing about connecting our dream to a feeling of LIQUID GOLD, rather than the traditional visual orientation of a dream with an image to chase, is that we cannot realize our dream through the ego.Also we can never be confused on whether a place is right for us or not as long as we allow ourselves to be led by our gut feeling. How many stories have we heard in the past 60 years of musicians finding themselves on big stages with all money and fame they 'dreamed of', still feeling unfulfilled? They pursued a visual dream rather than a sensible dream. Expecting that making music will get better if it's in a stadium with 100000 people, rather than 5 in a living room.LIQUID GOLD is made in the smallest moments of connection, if we are unable to connect, we are unable to feel our dream. If we are unable to kindle our fire and do what we love, on stage or wherever, we are unable to cultivate LIQUID GOLD. It's essential to recognize what inspired you in the first place to find and pursue your dream. Bigger and more is not always better. That feeling of LIQUID GOLD, where did it actually originate from in that moment?

We cannot screw anyone over in the process of realizing our dream whenever it's based and guided by LIQUID GOLD. We cannot allow our ego to be the center point of attention. It’s our northern star keeping us aligned with that first spark of inspiration we had at the beginning of our life and career journey. If there's no GOLD, it's not the right path to choose. If there's too much wind and rain messing with our inner fire, it's not the right place to be. If it's people messing with our fireplace telling us how to kindle it, they're not the right people. They're not people of luck and coincidence but of other forces. Our dream can only become reality collaboratively, without a dream team, we cannot create LIQUID GOLD. Inherently tying the sense of value and community into the concept of LIQUID GOLD as a metaphorical and spiritual guide to THE MAKING OF YOUR DREAM.

Another quality of LIQUID GOLD I'd like to share is the fluid character of it. Why is the GOLD liquid and what does that mean? Why is it important?Water is an extremely sensitive substance to external influence. Anything that's liquid is changed by the frequencies around it.(Elaborate on impact and memory and frequency.)

Liquid, especially Water is known in spiritual philosophies from the East as well as Western such as Alchemy, is known as the element of emotion. It's the element of sensing, of intuition among some others. It flows through our body, adapts and morphs in different form and shape. A good way to visualize it is by imagining how one were to transfer and share water? They would need to get close to one another and pour it into a bottle, cup or vase. The same to share our inner LIQUID GOLD. To share it we need to pour it into a mold. The challenge here is that the moment the gold is poured in, we tend to focus on the shape more than the fluid it contains. How to find the right shape to present our inner LIQUID GOLD best? The shape of the metaphorical vase refers to a gesture or artifact for example. One can pour it into a flower bouquet, or a song. On the one hand it's a great medium to communicate our inner feeling, but it can also be in the way of deeply genuine heartfelt connection. The flowers might not be received for their beauty as you feel it. The song might not be interpreted and experienced the way you try to bring it across. That's the magic of Alchemy. How to open your heart and share the true authentic presence of your soul through the heart?

That's a question I like to end this essay with.How do you do it? What was a moment that you felt like there was a level of genuine heartfelt connection unmatched to any other before? Why did it feel so good? What did you do that enabled you to melt that gold within yourself and share it with the world around you? Could you do it again?I invite you to try.

Thank you for your presence.

All the loveAll the essenceIan Merkoulov