In this episode I am joined by visual artist Hazel Florez, where we get deep into the esoteric tradition of the west.  We begin by discussing her dramatic shift in interest toward the occult and esoteric and how that discovery slowly began to guide her toward her creative work.  We discuss the importance of reclaiming our spiritual identity in these modern times of distraction and hyper-materialism.  We dive into her work as an artist and how she explores new ways of expressing ideas from tarot, alchemy, and the pagan sensibilities of pre-christian and European spirituality.   ------------------------ Hazel Florez is an artist, researcher and writer. Hazel is multidisciplinary artist making paintings, drawings, costumes, photography and mixed media collage. Her work draws on a range of mystical influences for inspiration, including the rich symbolic traditions of Jungian archetypal psychology, tarot, astrology, alchemy, mythology, and folklore. Florez’s paintings are made with the intention of drawing the viewer into a slower and meditative state of mind, where prolonged viewing is rewarded with intricate detail. Her paintings act like portals inviting the viewer to enter mythopoetic Otherworlds. Esoteric and surreal Hazel's images weave new stories of their own, often mixing reverence with playful irreverence. She has an MFA from Edinburgh and taught at Queen Mary University London before becoming an artist. She has participated in many solo and group shows in London. She has participated and given talks at a range of venues and events including the Jung Club, the Magical Women’s Conference and Occulture Conference Berlin and The Last Tuesday Society. She was shortlisted for the London College of Psychic Studies annual art competition 2022. She is currently writing articles for World of Interiors magazine. Her work is due to be published in a book by Taschen called 'Sacred Sites' released with The Library of Esoterica February 2024. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hazel_florez Website: https://www.hazelflorez.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hazel_florez/ World of Interiors https://www.worldofinteriors.com/story/the-tarot-influence-art-surrealism See More from Martin Benson *To stay up on releases and content surrounding the show check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠my instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ *To contribute to the creation of this show, along with access to other exclusive content, consider subscribing for $0.99/month on Instagram (Link above) Credits: Big Thanks to Matthew Blankenship of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Sometimes Island ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for the podcast theme music! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/martin-l-benson/support