David Bowie: Ashes to Ashes - The Way of the Three Sisters

In an illustration on how the “three sisters" accompany the artist’s journey, the video on David Bowie’s “Ashes to Ashes” available on You Tube is instructive. It is a most creative tune which recalls the “action man” – that would be Major Tom (Self), from ten years earlier in Bowie’s career (“Ashes to ashes/funk to funky/ we know Major Tom’s a junkie.”). What is interesting about this video is that Bowie expresses drug addiction but without fear and loathing; rather as a channel between Creative Anima and Working Ego and Self. He doesn’t have to fight to find Eros/Anima. If finds him. In one of the photos he is walking with the three “dark sisters" – and dressed like a clown/trickster - the artist path - with a “real world” dancing girl behind him. She is Anima who guided him here to the heart of the Earth Mother.



Real Girl is Anima; he follows her lead and the Three Sisters find him. But Major Tom, the Action Man/Self, finds him as well. Major Tom is pictured here as firmly male Bowie in space suit; but living in a womb, connected by tubes to “mother”; resting in the womb of the Divine/Earth Mother. This is a perfect image of Self residing in Psyche (I can't find a picture of it on line but it is in the video). In another still he is in the kitchen with the Three Sisters; one wearing a cross - the kitchen is always the womb - a cave - in such a dream or active imagination.



Bowie walks the way of the artist without resistance or complaint. More than most other artists he is able to leave the Mother and return to his ego - man in suit - see how comfortable and relaxed and happy he is in this picture when he is just entertaining. AS Emerson says, when the muse leaves you go work in your garden. Reality is the saving retreat in the way of the artist.



More on Three Sisters here in The Titan and the Egg. Here is Arthur and the Three Sisters at the Death of Arthur.



This Bowie clip is one of the most perfect manifestations of Deathless Child/Self and Three Sisters – See Robert Graves, The White Goddess – the Way of the Three Sisters was Britannia religion until the 14th century. As Bowie is an Englishman, he is actualizing and manifesting ancient memory.