Was Bowie Marked for Elimination?

The online conspiracy community is rife with speculation that a secret 18 month battle with cancer was not the cause of Bowie’s death, but that it was a ‘premeditated hit’ and ritual sacrifice. A plethora of social media comments are surfacing, hinting that the Goblin King was a marked man and that a “kill switch” was activated.

David Bowie was the first Illumminati sacrifice of 2016, conspiracy theorists are claiming.

WHAT? WHY? HOW?

It’s no secret that Bowie was deep into the occult and magick. Whilst the occult is often considered to involve the mysterious and the supernatural, it does not necessarily mean it’s all ‘bad or negative”, but rather beyond normal or concealed. The word occult has its roots in the Latin occultus, meaning “hidden, secret.”

It’s been touted that he shunned his involvement with the PTB (powers that be) later in life and wanted to come clean about it all, but that he would pay a price for it. In his usual trademark vernacular and (not-so) cryptic lyrics, his ominous parting gift “Blackstar’ was his swan song.

The one thing the mainstream media and the alternative media seem to agree on is that he seemed to have predicted his own death. Where the mainstream media have put it down to his illness/cancer, the conspiratorials suggest something more occult.

Note: I want to establish from the outset that I’m a huge fan of Bowie’s creative offerings in his film and music. The intention of this article is certainly not directed towards any enmity towards the man, but merely an exploration of themes surrounding his life and ultimately, ‘death’. Those familiar with research into popular culture have long believed in the control and manipulation of the film and music industry by the “powers that be” and will probably find the following content hardly surprising. 

Symbolism and Jungian Influence

Before we take a look at the symbolism and esoteric messages laced in some of the lyrics to the tracks in his latest album, it’s worth exploring Jung’s deep and pervasive influence in Bowie’s creative offerings. It comes as no surprise to his most ardent and avid fans that he worked with symbolism in a prolific way. Those familiar with Jungian psychology will know that symbolism and archetypes are major themes in understanding and exploring the psyche.

“David Bowie inhabits Carl Jung’s world of archetypes, reading and speaking of the psychoanalyst with a passion.”

~ Tony Oursler

“Being imbued with a vividly active imagination, still, I have brilliantly Technicolor dreams. They’re very, very strong. The ‘what if?’ approach to life has always been such a part of my personal mythology, and it’s always been easy for me to fantasize a parallel existence… I suspect that dreams are an integral part of existence, with far more use for us than we’ve made of them, really.

I’m quite Jungian about that. The dream state is a strong, active, potent force in our lives…the fine line between the dream state and reality is at times, for me, quite grey. Combining the two, the place where the two worlds come together, has been important in some of the things I’ve written, yes.”

~ Bowie 1999

Bowie’s lifelong fascination with Jung’s concepts of archetypes and the subconscious as a creative and fertile field for exploration, can be seen in his many personas over the decades, from Ziggy Stardust and the Goblin King to the Thin White Duke.

His frequent metamorphosis into these exaggerated characters gave him the title of being a rock-star chameleon and became part of his trademark myth, exploring a plethora of public and private projections in his music and film. From the mysterious outsider to the androgynous alien, Bowie took each persona to the edges of their own psychic expression.

In the Jungian process of individuation, one must attempt to reconcile and integrate both the conscious and unconscious, the shadow and the light, the anima and the animus. Jung stressed through his own personal revelations and journey that one can over-identify with one persona or complex over another, hinting at the need for caution over this imbalance. This recurring motif in his quest for the authentic self would become Bowie’s own process of individuation.

“…there is no difference in principle between a fragmentary personality and a complex… complexes are splinter psyches”.

~ Jung

It would seem that Bowie would also find this out for himself:-

“…that fucker [Ziggy] would not leave me alone for years… my whole personality was affected… It became very dangerous. I really did have doubts about my sanity… I think I put myself very dangerously near the line. Not in a physical sense but definitively in a mental sense.”

~ Bowie

Both Jung and Bowie shared a predisposition to navigating the mysterious, numinous and often perilous struggles of the shadow – both highly intuitive, incredibly intelligent, perhaps misunderstood and possibly deeply conflicted. A nostalgic sense of being in a different (out of current) time-space continuum seemed to pervade their connection.

This perhaps also hints at my own inextricable connection to both men, being a Jungian psychotherapist and Bowie fan, myself. I too, am eternally nostalgic about other times and places, in varying dimensions and eons.

 “[as a boy] I could not understand this identity I felt with the eighteenth century… I was overcome by an inexplicable nostalgia”.

~ Jung

 “It’s odd but even when I was a kid, I would write about ‘old and other times’ as though I had a lot of years behind me.”

~ Bowie (2002)

Crowley and OTO

There are references to Bowie having a rather keen interest in Aleister Crowley’s work. Whether or not he was actually initiated into the OTO (Ordo Templi Orientis) remains to be verified, though it often sparked various interpretations – some suggesting the more masonic hierarchical ‘Golden Dawn’ nature, whilst other believing the organisation has a more Rosicrucian bent.

The Golden Dawn was a magical secret society dedicated to the occult, divination, alchemy, metaphysics, philosophical, spiritual and paranormal activities during the late 19th and early 20th century. It taught a unique blend of Jewish mysticism (Cabbala or Kabbalah), ancient Egyptian and Greek mysteries and other Western esoteric traditions.

In his 1971 song “Quicksand”, the lyrics perhaps allude to some association:-

“I’m closer to the Golden Dawn
Immersed in Crowley’s uniform of imagery.”

On 25 November, 1995, he finally admitted that in 1976:-

“My overriding interest was in cabbala and Crowleyism. That whole dark and rather fearsome never–world of the wrong side of the brain. …

The 1976 track ‘Station to Station’ is an example of Bowie’s use of occult symbolism. On the back cover of the CD, Bowie sits on the floor drawing the Tree of Life with the 10 Sefiroths – (emanations or spheres).

“Don’t look at the carpet / I drew something awful on it”:-

he sang in ‘Breaking Glass’ in 1977.

Some years later, in March 2001 he admitted that this lyric:-

“refers to both the cabbalistic drawings of the tree of life and the conjuring of spirits.”

On the left is Bowie from his video clip, “Lazarus”.

Notice the striped onesie is pretty much the same as his striped attire in the image above back in 1976, 40 years later?

In the first few seconds of the video, Lazarus, we see a closet open – perhaps a reference to “coming out…” ?

The concept of Lazarus seemed quite critical and dear to Bowie, considering he worked intimately behind the scenes on the Broadway production. The script for “Lazarus” was penned by Bowie himself and has been described as a 2 hour meditation or existential crisis on love, loss, grief, hope, obsession and death, following the journey of Thomas Newtown – the character he portrayed in the film, The Man Who Fell to Earth.

“Look up here, I’m in heaven
I’ve got scars that can’t be seen
I’ve got drama, can’t be stolen..

Look up here, man, I’m in danger
I’ve got nothing left to lose…

This way or no way
You know, I’ll be free.

Just like that bluebird, oh I’ll be free.”

Bluebird was a CIA mind control program and considered to be a deliberate creation of multiple personalities to create Manchurian candidates since WWII though hypnosis and drugs. Bowie was believed to have been an MK Ultra ‘slave’.

Black Star & The Elvis Connection

Bowie and Elvis were born on the same day – Jan 8th. For the past few years, I’ve posted a happy birthday message on social media for both. This year was no different. Bowie cited Elvis as a deep influence – even moreso considering they share their date of birth.

“I was absolutely mesmerised by it. I couldn’t believe it. He was a major hero of mine. And I was probably stupid enough to believe that having the same birthday as him actually meant something.”

 ~ Bowie (1997 interview with Q)

elvis vs bowie

In 1960, Elvis recorded a country song called Black Star (hello… same as Bowie’s final swan song/album name). It was intended to be the title track for a film, but the film’s title changed to Flaming Star, and the song was ditched – and not released until the 90s.

Black Star’s lyrics are quite revealing:

“Every man has a black star
A black star over his shoulder
And when a man sees his black star
He knows his time, his time has come”

“Black star don’t shine on me, black star
Black star keep behind me, black star
There’s a lot of livin’ I gotta do
Give me time to make a few dreams come true, black star.”

There you go, Bowie. You are both inextricably linked now and probably always were – being the star crossed icons of rock and rebellious roll. Personally, you’ve both inspired me greatly – musically and creatively.

Other Blackstar references include Niburu / Planet X. In this image still, Bowie holds up a book with a black star against a backdrop of a blue sky, heralding that a black star may be seen in our sky. There is plenty of material on Niburu and Planet X to search on the web. Interpretations very considerably from the literal – an imminent apocalypse to the metaphorical and more occult – ie. weather control geoengineering programs/HAARP.

Bear in mind, that any information regarding Niburu and Planet X will be based on half lies and half truths – the usual disinformation and classic Cointelpro to dupe the unsuspecting masses.

Then of course, brought to my attention was this image and reference:-

“the imagery… reminiscent of Soviet/Maoist art as anything else, and if religion and atheist totalitarianism share anything in common, it’s a cult of personality:”

Deconstructing Imagery in Bowie’s Blackstar Video

Another ‘black star’ cancer reference is that in breast cancer, a radial scar is considered to be a benign lesion, and appears as a ‘black star’ in the form of long thin radiating spicules.

“Benign” = not cancerous.

So there you have it – a few other interpretations to “black star”.

And for those who remember the 1983 film ‘Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence” where Bowie starred alongside Japanese actor/musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, this is what he had to say regarding the news of Bowie’s death and cancer:-

“I still cannot believe. Even now I can’t believe, especially because the new album came out two days ago. This morning I carefully listened back to each track of the new album. His vocals sound not like a cancer patient – because I know that. I was diagnosed with cancer two years ago, so I know what it is.

It doesn’t sound right.”

Sakamoto Reflects on His Unique Time With Bowie

From the soundtrack, below are 2 versions of the timeless and poignant song.


Lyrical Inferences

BLACKSTAR

On the day of execution, on the day of execution
Only women kneel and smile…

Something happened on the day he died
Spirit rose a metre and stepped aside
Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried
(I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar)

How many times does an angel fall?
How many people lie instead of talking tall?
He trod on sacred ground, he cried loud into the crowd
(I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar, I’m not a gangster)

I’m a blackstar, way up, oh honey, I’ve got game
I see right so white, so open-heart it’s pain

I can’t answer why (I’m not a gangster)
But I can tell you how (I’m not a flame star)
We were born upside-down (I’m a star star)
Born the wrong way ‘round (I’m not a white star)
(I’m a blackstar, I’m not a gangster
I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar
I’m not a pornstar, I’m not a wandering star
I’m a blackstar, I’m a blackstar)

Is he alluding to the fact that he knew he was being ‘sacrificed’ and/or that “someone else” would be or take his place? There is also speculation that he was cloned.

“Somebody else took his place, and bravely cried”.

In the clip, we see convulsing young adults dancing in a zombified stupor – repetitive shaking, which in ritualistic terms may infer a series of actions that occur repeatedly, again and again, time after time during significant ‘occult’ dates.

Below is the jewel encrusted skull found in the astronaut space suit and later taken away in a wooden box. Dismemberment is a classic disassociative tool used for mind control victims.

A friend made mention of the below article, related to Germanic tradition of bejeweled relics and mortality, in which the author of the book, Heavenly Bodies, suggested that “the intention was to give them (skeletons clad in gems) the highest dignity by ornamenting them with gems”.

Who needs a knighthood by the Queen when you can self-ordain yourself as “monarch” royalty, posthumously on your own terms, with much greater flair and provocative creative licensing?

Europe’s Jewel Encrusted Relics

I CAN’T GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY

“I know something is very wrong
The pulse returns for prodigal sons
The blackout’s hearts with flowered news
With skull designs upon my shoes

I can’t give everything…

Seeing more and feeling less
Saying no but meaning yes
This is all I ever meant
That’s the message that I sent…”

Is he alluding to owning up to his involvement and paying the price, but not being able to reveal it all… ?

Did Bowie finally wake up and shun the master puppeteers and renounce any Luciferian pacts? He did refuse TWICE not to be knighted by the Queen, citing:-

“I seriously don’t know what it’s for. I would never have any intention of accepting anything like that. It’s not what I spent my life working for.”

David Bowie Turns Down Knighthood

Below is a tweet by Bowie’s wife, Iman on Jan 1st.

GIRL LOVES ME

“Where the fuck did Monday go?
I’m cold to this pig and pug show
I’m sittin’ in the chestnut tree
Who the fuck’s gonna mess with me?”

Ahhh… that old chestnut. He’s sick of the ‘pig and pug show’ by now.

Sunday was when he passed, so the world was without the legendary icon come Monday. Did Bowie know the actual day he was to be ‘eliminated’? Was it really a ritual sacrifice and was he somehow complicit in it all?

Bowie’s Morbid Fascination with Death

Don’t believe me?

“Confront a corpse at least once” Bowie implored, “…the absolute absence of life is the most disturbing and challenging confrontation you will ever have”

~ (Esquire 2004)

“Death has been an enduring companion to Bowie from the beginning…”

“It is not the first time Bowie has sung of the macabre, visceral reality of slaughter and assassination.”

Death psychopathically stalked Bowie in the video to 1997’s “I’m Afraid of Americans…”

“Bowie confronted his audience with bizarre themes of detachment, derangement and bodily desecration, decapitated minotaurs and mannequins, dark pagan rituals and Bacchan last suppers:”

“…it seems Bowie has been perpetually confronting us with the mysteries of mortality and death..”

Read the entire article here:- Confronting Bowie’s Mysterious Corpses

I found this in an online discussion thread where this guy played Blackstar backwards and ominously hears:-

“Livré à Lucifer”

which is French for – “given over to Lucifer / delivered by evil”

(make of it what you will and use your own discernment)

In Conclusion

There are those who say Bowie was a Luciferian and a Satanist and others believe he finally woke up in the later years of his life and tried to shun his ‘handlers’ – the oligarchy – but knew he would not be able to walk away fully unscathed without there being a price to pay and that on some level, a Faustian pact was made and that he had sold his soul over to rock and roll.

Was “Blackstar” an attempt at warning the masses against some imminent event, or was he given the go-ahead to transmit his final message from beyond? He was not the only musician who died 2 days after his birthday – so did Lemmy, 2 weeks prior. Let’s not forget Stanley Kubrick died 4 days after the release of Eyes Wide Shut.

Whatever the truth may be, we all find our own motif and method in our madness for those we adore, admire or shun. For me, I will remember and honour Bowie for his iconic artistry and creative brilliance. There will never be another quite like him. May he revel in profound bliss where ever he has transitioned onto next.


For those wanting to explore the significance of occult numerology surrounding his death, here are some links:-

Bowie is Dead

and Iman’s cryptic tweets before and after his death.

Bowie’s Wife’s Cryptic Tweets

“It’s the process that matters, isn’t it? Rather than getting your information – or redemption – easily and directly you must go through this long stubborn painful trek. As with alchemy, the end result isn’t as important as the long process whereby all the inessential aspects of “you” have been stripped away…”

~ Bowie, 1995