Today is an important day for Catholics, and although I am not Catholic, I do realize that the new Pope is nevertheless a world leader. Having grown up as a Protestant, I never really heard much about Mary in Sunday school. Perhaps that is why I have grown to love images, statues and churches devoted [...]
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This year’s Brigid’s altar glows in the still-dark year, casting strands of hope and connection to those who circle around it. I like to use different symbols for the elements and Spirit, and this year’s choices are especially poignant for me. For the center I use my first Brigid’s cross, one I bought years ago [...]
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This year for Brigid’s Day I made Her sunwise straw cross, symbol of the turning wheel of the year. This cross has equilateral arms, woven deosil around the center upright straw. I was fortunate to be gifted with a sheaf of wheat last May, so saved it away for Februrary, knowing I would want to [...]
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I love to see connections between different cultures and times across the planet. This Man in the Maze pattern in the American Southwest is identical to the ancient Cretan labyrinth symbol of pre-Hellenic Greece, except its corners are squared instead of rounded, and the figure of the man is included, making the reference to the [...]
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Cerro Pedernal in northern New Mexico is one of the world’s many mystical and legendary mountains. My favorite moment with it was a summer sunset under a bright gibbous moon. This distinctive flat-topped mountain, part of the Jemez range near Abiquiu, is visible from the Taos road, and all around that country, and most famously [...]
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For the New Year of 2010 I promised myself a day “out of time” to play at a Soul Collage-type afternoon offered by my book group, Bay Area Book Artists. I have done collage before and find it a wonderful medium for opening the eyes to layouts and forms, but have not ever attempted the [...]
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This terracotta figure and many others like her were found in southwest Iran, in the ruins of Susa, the great city of ancient Elam. She is about 4000 years old. Because of our modern ideals of feminine beauty, some people will look at this image and see her as fat. I see her body shape [...]
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This dancing goddess from 3300 years ago is probably the ancient Greek goddess Demeter, or, as the Romans renamed her, Ceres, the source of our word cereal. She is from Ugarit, ancient Phoenecia, ancestral Canaan. She is the goddess of the grain and was believed to have given the gift of agriculture to us. She [...]
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My calligraphy kindred are preparing to travel and gather at Saint John’s University in Minnesota for the annual summer calligraphy conference next week. For them and all of us writers, I offer this Script Goddess, the Nursing Mother of Rast, from the Old European Vinca culture in western Romania. She is at least 7000 years [...]
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Morning on the deck, by the creek. My straight eucalyptus tree inspires my straight spine and lifts my face to the sky. The air is full of birdsong and activity. The silk oak tree shines its amber blossoms. The sun clears the house roof and touches my cane with a flash of light, a bit [...]
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