The Path of the Mystic Lover

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1993 Publication of 'The Path of the Mystic Lover - Baul Songs of Passion and Ecstasy' by Bhaskar Bhattacharya, with Nik Douglas and Penny Slinger. Cover and 84 original drawing by Penny Slinger. Published by Destiny Books, Rochester, VT, USA.

I had originally wanted to do the illustrations for the songs as full color collages, and started creating a number of pieces along those lines. However, it was decided to go with a black and white edition, so I made 84 drawings inspired by 'illuminated manuscripts', where the text and drawing are integrated on the page. My desire to offer my talents to the creation of this book came from an experience I had in my mid twenties in London. I was at a friend's house and was given something to sniff that I was told would give me 'a rush'. It turned out to be about a 12-hour psychedelic journey. I felt a strong compunction to have some control over my psychic environment, since I had been pushed unsuspectingly into this experience. We went through the whole collection of music. Nothing sounded right until an album was put on that took me through an amazing experience of the emotion of every chakra opening until I was in bliss and awe before the Goddess. I later discovered the album was 'The Bauls of Bengal' and although the actual music sounded nothing like my experience, I knew it was the pure devotion in their hearts that opened this doorway for me. Forever grateful, I wanted to do this work as a token of my appreciation for what was given to me through their songs.

• "An intimate and poetic look into the lives of a people whose living expression is communication with the Divine. A must-read for Tantric initiates on all levels." Tantra Magazine