A New Era Needs A New Symbol...

One of the top articles last year was the analysis of  Marilyn Manson´s latest tats and their origin.

http://sweetandsourdreamz.blogspot.com/2010/05/lost-symbols-part-1-tursaansydan.html

Today I discovered a new symbol added to his collection of swastika-inspired imagery, not necessarily related to the Nazi paraphernalia and it´s exactly this combination of four M´s apparently spinning clockwise.

Four M´s symbol.

04/11/2011 - Marilyn Manson - "Scream 4" Los Angeles Premiere showing
off his latest ink.

Meaning:

????????

A very interesting theory, besides bearing obvious similarities with the actual swastika is the letter M. Letters in a way can also act as symbols and regarding numerology it is related to the number 4 and means spirituality and transformation. People who also bear this name are incredibly self confident and likely to achieve success. It is also a letter that is somewhat of a workaholic. A negative aspect of the M is that it can be hasty and become easily angry.

http://www.numberquest.com/knowledge_letter_meaning_m.php

Another 4 is found on the Major Arcana, The Emperor, which is related to an incredible amount of strength due to its constant appearance in nature; four seasons, four elements, four walls, etc.

Also compare the four corners of the throne

Another surprising hint? This year, 2011 broken into numbers goes something like this:

2 + 0 + 1 + 1= 22


2 + 2 = 4

The Emperor is very adequate for this era since it communicates stability, protection, authority, leadership, strategies, power.

More coincidences? Divide Manson´s actual birthday in numerology: January 15th, 1969 or,

01 05 1969

1 + 5 + 1 + 9 + 6 + 9 =  31


3 + 1 = 4

Hopefully we will see more of this new untitled symbol soon, probably even as part of the album artwork. You can help to promote this as many times as you like!

A Visual Deconstruction Of "The Dope Show"

And who doesn 't remember Marilyn Manson's  most androgynous era back when Mechanical Animals came out?

Yes, it was mind-boggling and it really brought back that ultra glam Bowie-esque vibe. The look in Mechanical Animals went quite well with the times due that we were almost at the end of the millenium, but it's no secret either that most of Marilyn Manson's albums have always had an apocalyptic feel, never to be taken literally though.

On this ocassion we make a visual analysis of the first single and video, "The Dope Show"; why? For many reasons, one of them because it was really fun to watch.

So let's start off with one of the first scenes in which Manson lands on 'Earth' as a white androgynous white alien, Omega which is captured and taken into a building that's kind of familiar. Now you might think that it was the Power Rangers base...um, no, the truth is that this building is known as the Brandeis Bardin Institute located in Simi Valley, California. It´s now the Brandeis-Bardin Campus of American Jewish University, a Jewish retreat. It is known for its nondenominational summer programs for children, teens and young adults.

"The Dope Show´s" futuristic laboratory...

The House of the Book building at the Brandeis-Bardin Institute

They say that many inspiration for this video was taken from David Bowie's 1976 film named "The Man Who Fell To Earth", a British science fiction film directed by Nicolas Roeg, based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, about an extraterrestrial who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought.

As you can see in this scene Manson is taken studied to be studied, and you can clearly see his ambiguous fisonomy. This reminds us of another one of the scenes from the "The Man Who Fell To Earth".

MM taken in to be studied...

David Bowie as  Thomas Jerome Newton.

Another aspect that caught our attention was the use of these futuristic sculptures or devices around Manson's body, both of which are supposed to have a function. The first one is these series of red plugs which mimic wiring and circuits. The piece was actually known as "Overflowing Blood Machine" by Rebecca Horn, a German installation artist most famous for her body modifications such as Einhorn (Unicorn), a body-suit with a very large horn projecting vertically from the headpiece, and Pencil Mask, a mesh harness for the head with many pencils projecting out. In May-August, 2005 the Hayward Gallery in London held a Rebecca Horn retrospective.

"Overflowing Blood Machine" was a visual performance, orginally with a male strapped to a series of red tubes, simulating his circulation system and reducing him to nothing but a machine which keeps pumping blood. This is not the first time Manson has used this resource. In the cover art for "Antichrist Superstar" a similar series of tubes were tied to his genitals.

"Overflowing Blood Machine" , recreated for "The Dope Show", by Rebecca Horn.

The original suit by Rebecca Horn, Überströmer, New York 1993

Starting from the song title, "The Dope Show" mocks many of the aspects that make Hollywood so decadent. In the limo sequence where Omega is to be transformed into a rockstar he meets a producer briefly played by Billy Zane, who was worked with Manson several times. Part of the tabloid magazines he's holding resemble the National Enquirer and Spin. This last part could be about an incident which took place back in November 1998, where Spin editor Craig Marks was assaulted by Manson's bodyguards. Ironically, the video was shot in August of the same year...

Cameo by actor Billy Zane, showing parodies of the National Enquirer and Spin magazines.

Next, another interesting Rebecca Horn's sculpture dubbed "Cornucopia" which a molded plastic device set in place with a strap on the forehead that simulates a self-nurturing effect. The piece was conceived back in 1970; the one Omega wears is a more modernized version.

MM, showing a modern version of Rebecca Horn´s Cornucopia.

Rebecca Horn, Cornucopia, 1970

Among the real-life locations that were used in the shooting of "The Dope Show" is the Municipal Traffic Court Building, located in Downtown Los Angeles, with a style known as Brutalist architecture. This was shown in the Omega and the Mechanical Animals ficticious performance, shot while the band was placed on top of the trailer of an 18-wheeler transport truck.

Omega and the Mechanical Animal's performance...

The actual place: Municipal Traffic Court Building 1970 by architect William Allen

Many of the costumes were conceived by Manson along with designer Terri King, who has worked for several artists like Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop. She also designed the transparent feathered suit seen on the "Rock Is Dead" video.

Another outfit designed by Terri King Clothing

In another sequence we see Omega smashing his clonesor copies enraged by what he sees. This evokes Alejandro Jodorowsky´s film from 1973 "The Holy Mountain", but in his case he destroys several mannequins of Jesus. This aspect is incredibly symbolic because Manson has made it very clear by saying that a holy figure or an idol has become a figure of massive consumption:

"People are made to feel so guilty about having human feelings, but then they´re supposed to pray to this phallic symbol with a half-naked rockstar on it." (Revolver Magazine, Winter 2000)

Scene from Alejandro Jodorowsky´s "The Holy Mountain"

The last sequence features a transvestite dancer commonly known as The Goddess Bunny. It´s actually a boy whose real name is Johnnie Baima. He also appears in some deleted scenes from this video in the VHS edition of "God Is In the TV" where he and the other band members are in the back of the limousine.

Johnnie Baima , aka The Goddess Bunny.

So what else can we highlight about "The Dope Show" that hasn´t been said before. The live performance in the 1998 MTV VMA´s included huge signs with keywords like "DOPE SHOW" emphasizing the whole concept about drugs and fame...

"there´s lots of pretty, pretty ones that wanna get you high, but all the pretty, pretty ones will leave you low and blow your mind..."

These lyrics are similar in nature to "Heart-Shaped Glasses":

"that blue is getting me high, making me low..."

As well as "I Have To Look Up Just To See Hell":

"...we reached the high end of low..."

and most recently with the title of the painting "Everyone Has A Blue Period"; a possible analogy for "the low" or deep sadness, depression or a state of calmness or feeling numb.

One of Pink Floyd´s "The Wall" most famous track, "Comfortably Numb" clearly expresses what it´s like to live in a period where there´s absolutely no pain, but it´s also a of limbo which is similar to the concept behind the ficticious character of Coma White. So once again "The Dope Show" symbolizes a futuristic world deprived of feelings, emotions and replaced by artificial thrills.

This, in the end turns out to be a timeless phenomenon covered in the past centuries with the rising of art movements such as Expressionism, and Futurism. It also reminds us very much of the Fritz Lang movie "Metropolis" in which the female character Maria is replaced with a sinister robotic version of her.

The robotic "Maria"; compare to "The Dope Show´s" still of Manson with
the "Overflowing Blood Machine" costume.

So please enjoy watching this visually stunning video directed by Paul Hunter. Have a great weekend!

Daily Reflections: The World

This is the last of the Major Arcana deck; number 21, the World. It is visually beautiful; a naked woman or hermaphrodite dances above the Earth holding a staff in both hands, sourrounded in a green wreath observed by four different creatures. In ancient decks there was a human face instead of the woman. The four animals represent the symbols of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also resembles a vision of Ezequiel from the Old Testament. According to astrological interpretation the beasts are the signs of the Zodiac: Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio.

Even in some decks the wreath is a legendary basilisk that bites its own tail known as Ourobouros.

Alchemical woodcut of the Seal of Solomon with Ouroboros

WHAT IT MEANS

Generally it represents completion. In ancient Kabbalah, it can be associated to the sephirot or sphere of light named Malkuth (kingdom) which is at the end of the Tree of Life and is considered the link between the material and the spriritual realm. An explanation of Malkuth:

Malkuth represents the physical world of matter, the final stage in the descent into matter, the lowest point on the great arc of evolution. If Kether has within it the idea of all created life, unfolded like the oak in the acorn, then Malkuth represents life's most complete expression. If Kether is the alpha of the universe, then Malkuth is its omega.

A passage from the Bible illustrates the idea of this last:

Gen 1:29-30 - "And Elohim said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat.' And it was so."

It's also been related with one of the last chakras, number 7 meaning knowledge. This is revealed as the ultimate state of consciousness, the end of a journey; identification with the Universe and Nirvana.

In Tarot readings the World can have the following meanings:

- Fulfillment, accomplishment, success, integration, involvement, prospering, satisfaction, good feelings, wholeness.

Compare the meaning of the World with an example from the Alchemic treatise named "Paradoxa Emblemata", "It Is Finished When Seven Are One," which represents the planets.

 "'The curse of God has entered the seven figures, so they are in conflict with one another.' Just as the human will was transformed 'into eternal sun, calm in God,' 'so in the Philosophical Work must all figures be transformed into one, into Sol. From seven must come one, and yet it remains in seven but in one desire, as every figure desires the others in love, so there is no longer any conflict.' (Jacob Böhme, De signatura rerum). D.A. Freher, Paradoxa Emblemata, manuscript 18th century."

IN MARILYN MANSON´S ART:

As always Manson does have many different levels of interpretation, but here´s one based on what we learned from the Tarot.

In Marilyn Manson's 'universe' back in 1998 when Mechanical Animals came out it included numerous alchemical references. Several messages were hidden and spread among the booklet and could only be seen placing the blue jewel box against the yellow lettering, revealing as green.

"I no longer knew if Coma White was real or just a side effect,"(sic) "Now children it's time for recess, please roll up your sleeves," "A sun with no planets, burning in circles", "Even machines can see that we are dead", and "In the end I became them and I led them/ After all none of us really qualified as humans/ We were hardworn, automatic and as hollow as the 'o' in God/ I reattatched my emotions cellular and narcotic/ From the top of Holywood it looked like space/ Millions of capsules and Mechanical Animals/ A city filled with dead stars and a girl I called Comawhite/ This is my Omēga."

Omēga is a loose reference to the last letter of the Greek alphabet, as well as to the phrase from the book of Revelation, "I am the Alpha and the Omega". (the beginning and the end). Thus, Omēga is the end.

Also, a hidden track was found when Mechanical Animals was played as an Enhanced CD.

IN THE END I BECAME AND I LED THEM / AFTER ALL NONE OF US REALLY QUALIFIED AS HUMANS / WE WERE HARDWORN AUTOMATIC AND AS HOLLOW AS THE "O" IN GOD / I REATTACHED MY EMOTIONS CELLULAR AND NARCOTIC / FROM THE TOP OF HOLLYWOOD IT LOOKED LIKE SPACE / MILLIONS OF CAPSULES AND MECHANICAL ANIMALS / A CITY FILLED WITH DEAD STARS AND A GIRL I CALLED COMAWHITE / THIS IS MY OMĒGA.

Manson as the androgynous Omēga

We were hardworn, automatic and as hollow as the 'o' in God

The letter "O" could also symbolize the round space in the wreath as well the round space where the Mercury Symbol rests. The hollowness then could mean that there are no elements to continue the act of creation, like a void.

According to our own interpretation the "world" could be referred to "consciousness" or "completion" so then it could also be tied with the idea of unconsciousness or being comatose, thus Coma White.

Coma White was once described by Manson as a feminine figure that was to be the symbol of perfection. Ironically it is labeled as an "artificial perfection" made by man and not by the actual God. So in the end, Coma White represents some of the opposite values of the World, which are:

REVERSED TAROT CARD MEANING:

- Unchanging, inability to conclude a task, loss of purpose, imperfection, delay, waiting, lack of vision

In other words, Coma White is a destructive vice. And, ironically Omēga epitomizes this spiritual Apocalypse to bring change and transition into a new levels a destructive vice. And, ironically Omēga epithomizes this spiritual Apocalypse to bring change and transition into a new level; a new world, and higher level of self.

The stages of coma, compare to idea of "consciousness".

I chose a particular Marilyn Manson song that helps to illustrate the reference to the Tarot Card ; the opening track from Mechanical Amimals "Great Big White World". Omēga, a mysterious androgynous alien-like figure falls on Earth.


GREAT BIG WHITE WORLD
(written by White, Jeordie;Bier, Stephen;Linton, Timothy;Warner, Brian)

In space the stars are no nearer


They just glitter like a morgue


And I dreamed I was a spaceman


Burned like a moth in a flame


And our world was so fucking gone


But I'm not attached to your world


Nothing heals and nothing grows


Because it's a great big white world and we are drained of our colors


We used to love ourselves, we used to love another


All my stiches itch


My prescription's low, I wish you were queen just for today


In a world so white what else could I say?


And hell was so cold


All the vases are so broken


And the roses tear our hands all open


Mother marry miscarry


And we pray just like insects


The world is so ugly now


Because it's a great big white world and we are drained of our colors
(chorus repeat)

The LOST Symbols Part 2: Triskelion

Round and round we go, where do we stop nobody knows...

The next spinning symbol that´s covered today is the Triskelion. It was picked due to its similarity with the swastika, you know those thingies that Manson likes so much.

The origin of the word triskele or triskelion goes all the way back to greek etymology (Triskelion - τρισκέλιον ) meaning something like "three legs". In Celtic cultures the number three was repeated several times as in this early example:

Celtic Spiral or Triskele,used by Celtic Reconstructionists
 and occasionally as a Christian Trinitarian symbol.

A triskelion is the symbol of Brittany, as well as the Isle of Man and Sicily (where it is called trinacria). The Manx and Sicilian triskelia feature three running legs, bent at the knee and conjoined at the crotch area.

The 'Three Legs of Man' triskelion, the national symbol of the Isle of Man

OTHER USES AND APPLICATIONS:

Nazi Germany adopted a variation on the triskelion as the insignia for the 27th SS Volunteer Division Langemarck, composed mainly of Belgian volunteers. Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB), a South African white supremacist paramilitary group, have used a flag featuring three black sevens that form a design reminiscent of the triskelion, in a white circle with a red background.

The coat of arms of the German city of Füssen.

THE TRISKELION APPLIED IN MANSON´S WORK:

This is the logo for Goon Moon, Jeordie White´s (Twiggy) side project. The figure in the center resembles the Triskelion.

SIMILARITIES WITH THE SWASTIKA:

Below are other visual examples or variations of how the concept of the swastika and the Triskelion are combined:

Cabaret movie poster, 1973 by Wiktor Górka.

Swastika-like legs used as props for the Grotesk Burlesk tour

The swastika legs incorporating a spiral in the middle, from "mOBSCENE", 2003.

The LOST Symbols Part 1: Tursaansydän

So recently someone asked me why did I choose to use the "swastikasquares" logo thingy on this blog. Well, I'll kindly explain. It is actually called Tursaansydän, a Finnish word for "The Heart of Tursas".

It strongly caught my attention due that it was a recent addition to Marilyn Manson's collection of tattoos. Not quite sure the reason why he got in the first place but I can explain its origin.

DEFINITION

Orignal Tursaansydän (right) and variation made with four arrows (left)

The tursaansydän (Finnish for "heart of Tursas") or mursunsydän ("heart of the walrus") is an ancient symbol used in Northern Europe. It was especially popular in Lapland. Some say it was used on Lappish shaman drums. The symbol originates from prehistoric times and incorporates a swastika.

The tursaansydän was believed to bring good luck and protect from curses, and was used as a decorative motif on wooden furniture and buildings in Finland. During the 18th century the simple swastika became more popular in Finnish wood decoration than the more complex tursaansydän.

It has been speculated[who?] that the tursaansydän represented a flying and rotating hammer of the thunder god Ukko (in Finland) or Thor (in Scandinavia). It could also have been an image of a lightning ball, like the Russian "thunder marks" (see Perun). Another theory is that it is actually an image of the heart of some being, such as Tursas or the walrus. Based on its many interpretations and uses, this symbol appears to have had many meanings over time.

You may ask, why is there a swastika in there? Well, the truth is this symbol is found by the conjunction of four squares, but it's been found even in the heart of India, Hinduism to be exact, when it was named (from Sanskrit svástika स्वस्तिक) The word Swastika means and consists of the word “Su” which means goodness, nobility, well etc. “Asti” which means being (to be) “Ka” is suffix to make a noun.

svástika स्वस्तिक)

It's found in numerous cultures with variations, such as Greece, Japan, Finland, and many others:

So as you can see, it's more like a universal symbol. Its constant movement could also be linked to that of the spiral, which is moving clockwise:

Spiral, clockwise  and counterclockwise movement, one of nature's oldest symbols

The spiral was used in primitive cultures such as in Celtic designs, based on the spirals that are often seen in nature and is seen as a symbol for creation and growth. Thus, when it spins counterclockwise it's seen more as "introspection". You can also compare it to Manson's spiral heart design.

The spiral incorporated with the heart outline.

Still, the spiral heart can be interpreted both clockwise and counterclockwise, possibly meaning the ups and downs or the highs and lows of emotional situations.

So as you can see most of these symbols have something in common with Tursaansydän. And by the way, the swastika is called Hakaristi in Finnish. Hope this clarifies some doubts.

(source: Wikipedia)

Daily Reflections: Strength

"Stay strong, it's only a snake bite..." (MM, 2010)

Sometimes the figure is marked by XI or VIII according to the deck. Historically it was called Fortress, and the Thoth Tarot was called Lust.

Over the years it has been given several interpretations:

- Self Control

- Robust

- Patience

- Compassion

- Composture

- Stability

- Perseverance

- Moderation

- Courtesy

- Calm

- Sweetness

- Serenity

- Comprehension

- Discipline

- Inner strength


A Little History:

The Strength was also known originally as Fortitude and accompanies the cardinal virtues in the Major Arcana which are: Temperance and Justice. The meaning of the Fortitude was different from the interpretation of the card. It was something like moderation in attitudes as pain and danger, even if they were inevitable.




The oldest decks had other symbols as a woman holding a pillar while others showed a man or a woman taming a lion.




Other curious facts:

Heracles, the son of Zeus is an archetype of the Strength, and is remembered by the twelve tasks that are also linked to the Zodiac.

The goddess Cybele was associated with cats, either them around her throne or in a chariot drawn by cats.

Also this card is associated with Wands. The Fire, a creative force is balanced somewhat by the fact of being dominated by a female force.

In numerology the Strength is the sum of the letter of the Star (17) where: 1 +7 = 8, which would be the Strength.

The lion represents the sun, making the Strength a solar hero as he is associated with Heracles.

As is the eighth letter is associated with Arachne, who challenges Athena to a weaving contest and wins. The goddess Athena transforms her into a spider as punishment.

"I'll build you a church or shiny dollhouse
For You to shrink
Into a tiny spider wight
horrid memories and gorge on
conceited with wings. "(Wight Spider, the High End of Low).

When the Force is featured in a spread is facing a challenge that requires a tremendous response instead of using brutal force.

The card, carried out on Marilyn Manson's lyrics:

"There are the weak ones to justify the strong." (The Beautiful People)

"Together as One Against all others ..." (Running To The Edge Of The World)

"Because today is black, Because There Is No Turning Back. Because I Watered Have your lies, I Have Become the Strongest weed." (Kinderfeld)

And the opposite side of the Force:

"I'm on my way down now, I'd like to take
you with me
I'm on my way down
I'm on my way down now, I'd like to take
you with me
I'm on my way down
That the minute it's born
It Begins to Die
I'd love to just give in,
I'd love to live this lie. " (The Minute of Decay)

Daily Reflections: Death

013150051310, in Numerology from here you can extract two numbers: 13 and 15 and in the next sequence they would be backwards: 51 and 31. The constant play of the Devil and Tarot cards.


The mere fact of hearing this word causes fear, because the meaning that emerges in the minds of many is the loss or the end.

In Tarot, Death, is marked by the 13 (another number charged with superstition). But we see other versions:

"This is the Tarot card number 13 (XIII). In the Western world, this number is considered bad luck, so, for superstition in many decks you omit the name or number.
A human skeleton is displayed on the field and their feet, human remains can be seen from different genders and social positions, no one can escape his blade, or the rich (king) or the poor, in allusion to the literary topic sumus et pulvis reverterimur pulvis (Dust we are and we become dust) used during the Middle Ages remembering the equalizing power of death.
In the Tarot de Marseille, the skeleton has a scythe in his hands as plowing the land where the bodies are.
In the Tarot de Rider, Death is dressed in black armor on his horse, which progresses slowly and carries a black flag with a white flower with five leaves. In the background you can see a boat on a river (the symbol of the Styx, the border between the world of the living and the dead in Greek mythology) and the far right is seen a sunrise between the two columns. In this tarot death if they have a name. "

(Source: Wikipedia)

Some words used in the interpretation are:

"End of a cycle, lost, conclusion, sadly."

"Transition to new state, psychological transformation"

"Finish, regeneration, removal of old habits."

"Trapped end, goodbye, profound changes."

The Death Card, according to the Rider Waite Tarot.

The Death Card, according to the Marseilles Tarot

The Death Card, reinvented according to the album artwork of "Holywood: In The Shadow of the Valley of Death"

It is truly rare that the Death Card bears the literal meaning when it's consulted, meaning that he or she will never see it's own death reflected, unless it's for extraordinary circumstances.

So far Manson has given us clues for the appeal of his new album, words like "suicide death metal" and the number of tracks, 13. This has some resonance with the past albums but with 15 tracks, also resembling the Devil Card. What other mysteries does it hold?

In the meantime I leave you with this beautiful song from The High End of Low, "Running To The Edge of the World", which vaguely reminds us about some of the elements in the Death card.

Remember when i took you
up to the top of the hill?
we had our knives drawn.
they were as sharp
as we were in love.
if god crossed us
we'd take all his drugs,
burn his money
and his house down,
and wait for the fire to spread.

but sometimes hate is not enough
to turn this all to ashes.
together as one
against all others
break all of our wings to
make sure it crashes
now we're running to the edge of the world
running running away
we're running to the edge of the world
but i don't know if the world will end today

I had no choice,
I erased the debt of our family.
I let you say goodbye
with lips like dynamite.
And everyone
turned their backs
because they knew
when we held on tight
to each other,
that we were something
fatal
that fell into the wrong hands.

but sometime hate is not enough
to turn this all to ashes
together as one
against all others
break all of their wings and
make sure it crashes

we're running to the edge of the world
running running away
we're running to the edge of the world
but i don't know if the world will end today

i don't seek death
i seek destruction
until death we see destruction

we don't seek death
we seek destruction
until death we seek destruction

we're running to the edge of the world
running running away
we're running to the edge of the world
but i don't know if the world will end today
we're running to the edge of the world
running running away
we're running to the edge of the world
but I don't know if the world will end today

I can see a new beginning
rise behind the sun
but we can never catch up to it
as fast as we run

I can see a new beginning
rise behind the sun
but we can never catch up to it
as fast as we run
I can see a new beginning
rise behind the sun
but we can never catch up to it
as fast as we run

I can see a new beginning
rise behind the sun
but we can never catch up to it
as fast as we run

15 Good (goddam) Reasons To Believe That Eat Me,Drink Me,The High End of Low and the Untitled Album Are a New Trilogy

WARNING: What you´re about to read is no way considered a spoiler for Marilyn Manson´s next album (because we don´t even have a clue what it will sound or look like). So this is why we came up with 15 good and goddam reasons that will lead us to believe at least that the last two records are tied by several circumstances and if it´s meant to be a trilogy then we already know what to expect; Enjoy!

1. The use of the spiral heart and the Cross of Lorraine.





Around the time the infamous Celebritarian Corporation was conceived (an elite of artists founded by MM) the symbol of the Cross of Lorraine was chosen and reshaped to resemble two symmetrical horizontal lines. This worked well to represent the dychotomy that has become somewhat of a trademark on MM's work.

The symbol was referenced from there on tons of times; in imagery and merchandise. However, rumor has it in the EMDM cover art there is a suspicious outline on the frames of the window that look like the cross. It's no secret as well that M wears the Lorraine ring most of the time.

The spiral heart was also created for the EMDM and used throughout the era. But in the High End of Low, you can still see it one of the pictures of the cover art as shown below.



Although it might not have been meant to stick until the very end in a way M still draws every single time he can.

2. The symbolism about blood and being bloodened









Back in EMDM had covered the eerie subject of vampirism (and no, it had NOTHING to do with Twilight) and blood was a constant symbol as in the first two videos , "Heart-Shaped Glasses" and "Putting Holes In Hapiness"

The mentions of this word continue on The High End of Low

"you're not crying, this is blood all over me." (Devour)

"they will all drown in our blood..." (Wight Spider)

"white cotton panties soaked and stained red..." (Into The Fire)

3. Key phrases: 6:19, here comes the Moon again, heart-shaped glasses, "high" and "low".







It's no secret that the presence of E introduced the entire concept of Lolita used for EMDM numerous times. However, very few people know the heart-shaped glasses are just part of the poster art and never inlcluded in any film version. But let's face it; they are still trendy (until we grow tired from them).

6:19 is referencing the song "If I Was Your Vampire" and apparently has no other meaning. But in this recent picture the number still haunts us, a possible sign?



The use of words like "high" and "low" have several can apply to a large number of concepts. In English slang it can mean the good times and the bad times, or when someone is extremely excited or depressed.

In the lyrics of Heart-Shaped Glasses this concept is used:

"that blue is getting me high getting me low..."

and in the song "High End of Low"

"we reached the high end of low..."

4. The sober ambients and tinted pictures

The photogrpahy style became more sober and minimalistic, using the shadow to literally flood the subject. You can see it here and in the stills of Phantasmagoria:






Notice how most of the time the females are surrounded by darkness, almost like ghostly figures, and in this recent one that's unoficiallly part of the new album.





Tinted pictures are used as well on High End of Low. As I covered earlier, the use of blue and red lighting is highly noticeable in EMDM and High End of Low as shown below.



5. Continuity between the new intro and "Running To the Edge of the World"

Last year we were given the chance to see "Running To The Edge of World" through MM's website (and was later unoficially distributed on You Tube), a somewhat soft snuff video which shouts "domestic violence" all over the place.

However, the new intro for MM's website revisits the idea, as if it were part 2...



6. Breakups, breakups and more breakups, or 'loss'...

wasn't EMDM's intro song "If I Was Your Vampire" referring to a relationship that ended, as in the lyrics below:

..."this is where it starts, this is were it will end, here comes the Moon again..."

7. The Phantom of the Paradise makeup and props (butcher's knife)

"The Phantom of the Paradise" is a 1974 musical film written and produced by Brian de Palma (director of such movies as "Scarface") an is considered somewhat of a mockery of many films, particularly the Phantom of the Opera.



8. The ghost of "Phantasmagoria" still lurking about...

So the movie was all about Alice anyway! The movie still doesn't have a release date but its style is used like in the pictures below.



Also, the masked "twins" appeared once in the MM's website intro a few years ago

9. The logo hasn't changed (yet)...

This is the design used in the High End of Low



This is the design we see now until further notice



10. The presence of ERW

Call it coinicidence but it wouldn't make any sense to sing "Heart-Shaped Glasses" or "Running To the Edge of the world" without her, not to mention that she 'unofficially' collaborates with photographs, such as these:



11. Inmortality, inlcuded in topics and symbols such as vampirism (EMDM), spiral, swastika and the tursaansydän...

Like it was described below the spiral in the heart design resembles ancient celtic symbols which stand for movement, evolution and eternity as shown here:



One of the origins of the swastika goes back to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism






Its Finnish parallel could be the tursaansydän or "heart of Tursas" which stands for good luck and is also one of MM's tats



Notice also that tursaansydän was used in Lappish shaman drums






12. Keywords such as "blue" and the concept behind it.

As I explained in earlier blogs, the use of the Blue Period concept seems latent now, but you can still notice it in this pic and the blue skull painting...



Also some other keywords have been used such as "ocean", "blue moon", "a planet inside", so go figure.



13. Handwriting and writings on the walls.

M's own handwriting was used for the art of EMDM and it continues to be seen in the walls of his 'room' in the High End of Low album art.



14. The version 'sooner than expected', as stated in a recent interview.

These were the exact words "I think people can expect the album out sooner than expected," said in an interview with Metal Hammer in December 2009 just as he had announced his departure from Interscope Records.

As mentioned in Metal Hammer: "We have recently been released from our contract with Interscope Records, so much creative control was limited in decisions reports, music videos, things like that.

So we started writing new songs while touring, just as David Bowie did (Aladdin Sane), I think people may expect a new album much sooner than expected. "

As for the sound are concerned, this is what he said in 2009, "yes, I think it would be more badass. I think that will be more romantic, perhaps. ... Auto abusive

Remember sequels of films like "Matrix Reloaded" and "Matrix Revolutions" and "Back to the Future II" and "Back to the Future III"?

The time between the sequel and the third part was not so long, nearly a year. So here we are a year later. The High End of Low announced on this month in 2009. You really can see this new material? ...

15. Possible signs found on "Running To The Edge of the World"





Suggesting a possible continuation, in the mentioned video Manson is closing a diary or journal. Since this is the most recent video it gives us the feeling that someting is about to end.

Are these actual signs of the third and final chapter?