Walking the Spiral: Etain

Following work with Brigid, the inner spark is ignited, and the heat of growth rises.  Even in the stark, cold of winter, the dormant seeds of last summer and fall are preparing for an incredible explosion of life.

The painting of Etain: Rebirth and Renewal explores this amazing process.  Plants burst from soil, vines rise, and curl in spirals, sometimes growing so fast it can almost be witnessed.  The inner light then becomes the outer light of the sun, when the inner state and outer state become one.

Caterpillers hatch from eggs, feed incessantly on plants, growing at a rapid rate, until finally wrapping themselves into a cocoon in prepartion to transform its body into a butterfly.  Every stage of the caterpillar is difficult and hard work.  Growing rapidly requires tremendous energy, which is fueled by the caterpillar's ravenous appetite.  Using silk made from its own body to wrap itself up in a cocoon is a feat of amazing skill.  Inside the cocoon the caterpillar literally dissolves, as it remakes its body into something entirely different.  This in itself is a remarkable and astounding act.  Then, the cocoon breaks open and out emerges a winged being, prepared to take to the air after it pumps its shriveled appendages with blood.

Examples of this kind of rebirth and renewal occurs all around us all the time.  The caterpillar is one of the most illustrative and readily available examples of this process.  Renewal and rebirth is often connected with growth and positive ideas.  But, this is deceptive, because renewal and rebirth is extraordinarily difficult.  Etain's story is one of rebirth, over and over, into a multitude of lives and different forms, many of which were difficult and tragic.  Rebirth and renewal can be even more difficult than the descent into darkness. 

With each rebirth, we are shedding the old skin, we are letting go of old ways, we are becoming something different.  The caterpillar loses chewing mouth parts for a long tubular straw.  It no longer eats, but drinks. Some butterflies are born with no mouthparts and live the rest of their short lives without eating at all.  There is no going back once this transformation occurs.  Life becomes hell when we try to go back or hold on to the old ways.  Imagine a butterfly with no mouthparts trying to chew a leaf!  Rebirth and renewal is really a death.  It is a necessary death that one must experience in order to grow.  Our culture does not prepare us for this concept, and many of us struggle against this difficult process, essentially becoming a mouthless butterfly trying to chew.

The process of creating this painting was quite difficult, almost as challenging as the emotional turmoil brought up by the painting Boann.  It was working with the energies of Etain that made me realize how challenging going through rebirth really is.  I had entered with the illusion that this would be a light, airy painting, almost easy to complete after the previous three.  This illusion was quickly shattered as I found my own life and career path being challenged.  Soon after completing the painting I found that I was being faced with letting go of a lot of old, outmoded ways of being, many of which that I realized I was reluctant to give up.  But, holding on to these old ways has only invited a personal hell that had begun to become unbearable.  Now it is time to climb to the top of the vine and let the currents lift me up into a new life.  The void of the sky is unknown.  There is great fear rising in me.  But what butterfly, when spreading its wings, questions the lift off?  The new life will happen, but only when the old life is forsaken.

The first cycle of paintings is complete.   Beginning with the upheaval of emotional waters, which carried me down into the darkest earthy depths of inner exploration, where the ember of insight and creativity are sparked to light and life, pushing me upward into the air of rebirth.  A new cycle now begins, bringing me back to the waters, similar to where I began, but not the same place.

In this next cycle, I will explore the masculine energies associated with this spiral journey.  To do so will require a lot of letting go, a peeling away of expectations, a new perspective will emerge as I swallow my fear, step off the vine and let my new wings lift me.

 DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
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All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Walking the Spiral: The Morrigan

The Morrigan: The Dark Mother

I recently listened to the audiobook The Creative Fire by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, in which she discusses the cycle of creativity.

Most people think of the artist as being moved by flashes of inspiration or asking for a blessing by the muse.  Estes explains that creativity moves in a continuing pattern of rising and falling.  This has been my experience of creativity.

After I completed the painting "Boann: transformation of a goddess" I felt I had reached a zenith.  I felt inspired by this new insight into my artwork and I felt wiser and more aware as a result as well.  It wasn't long before I felt a slow decline from this highpoint.  My creative work slowed. While I felt more connected to the spirit of the work than ever, my connection to the act of painting felt strained.  Suddenly, that light of inspiration grew dim.

The Morrigan is a dark figure in Irish Myth, probably even predating the arrival of the Celts in Ireland.  She was a goddess of fertility, the controller of death itself, and later became associated with war.  How could a fertility goddess be connected to death?  It seemed strange to me at first. But it doesn't take much introspection to realize how growth is preceded by death and decay.  Land is made fertile by the decayed plants and animals that enrich the soil.  A fertile mind is enriched by the knowledge absorbed. A fertile body is nourished by the breaking down of nutrient-rich foods taken in.

The creative process is likewise nourished by a period of decline, a period of darkness that is the opposite of that outward expression of the flash of inspiration.  Without this period of quiet, without this symbolic death, the creative expression loses fertility and richness.  Estes uses the Demeter/Persephone myth from the Ancient Greeks as an excellent metaphor for the creative cycle, even making astute distinctions between the way the myth differed in Pre-Helenistic and Post-Helenistic Greece.

This analysis of the creative cycle can be used by artist and non-artist alike.  For we all go through a period of darkness in varying levels throughout our lives.  From waking at daybreak, after having slept in the dark of night, to the coming of spring after the death of Fall and Winter's sleep, to the ups and downs of any one of life's situations.  "The Morrigan: The Dark Mother" taught me that there is a huge difference in outcome when one embraces the coming dark, rather than fearing it and trying to push it away.  No matter what, the dark times will come; we have no choice.  But we can choose how to move through the dark times.  We can enter with awareness and grace, coming out of the experience like the spring sprouts bursting from seeds planted in the fall, with determination and filled with the joy of creation itself.

DoAn
Help in the creation of art, please consider donating! Just click on the link below:
 
DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
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All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2011 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Embracing the Spirit of Halloween

For most, Halloween is the day to dress up in crazy costumes, go to parties, lead children to stranger's houses to collect candy, and, for many adults, to act like children.  America is really good at degrading traditions to its most base of qualities.  I have long thought it strange that Americans have adopted an old pagan holiday, but then, the holiday hasn't really been adopted, as much as usurped and corrupted.
Celebrating Halloween doesn't have to be just frivolous and empty fun.  It also doesn't even have to be observed in conflict with non-pagan religious belief.  At the heart of Halloween is a celebration of the closing of the year and an honoring of the spirits of our ancestors.

We see the cycle of death around us, as the landscape transforms and goes into its dormant stage.  It makes sense that the Celts would see this as the end of the year, for endings are occurring all around us at this time.  This becomes  a wonderful time to reflect on all that came in the previous months and let go of the negative influences and burdens of the previous cycle, while celebrating the achievements and preparing for the new.  It is not certain where the idea of costumes came in, there are lots of speculation, but nothing conclusive.  I like to think of dressing up as a way of re-creating your new self for the coming year.  It is an opportunity to try on a new identity, see how it fits, before starting the new cycle.  We are not limited to mundane, well-defined roles.  We can become archetypes, heroes, spirits, fantasy creatures whose attributes of which we can connect to and carry through into the next year. 

There is a dark aspect to Halloween.  Many dress as monsters, attend haunted houses,  talk of the ghosts and ghouls that run rampant through the neighborhood. I think much of this stems from a very deep-rooted fear and misunderstanding of death and endings in general.  But, if we look at this dark aspect as something positive,  rather than frightening, what might we discover?

The painting posted here is of The Morrigan: The Dark Mother, the ancient goddess of death and fertility and the land, now most commonly associated with ancient Irish myth.   The Morrigan is a symbol representing the dark aspects that we all experience and possess within. Everything emerges from the dark, the child from the womb, the day from night, light from the void, and The Morrigan symbolizes the power that exists within this place of potentiality. She is the perfect symbol for Halloween as we celebrate the end of the cycle by returning to the dark and beginning the cycle again. We acknowledge that day gives way to night, that the trees and plants die around us, only to return again with the light of spring.

The dark aspect is not something to be feared, for to fear the dark, is to be afraid of our own nature and the action of creation itself. Darkness is to be understood as part of a natural cycle of rise and fall, expanding and contracting, reaching out and turning inward.  The symbol of The Morrigan offers us a way to understand and navigate the dark paths throughout our life, if only we overcome our fears and reach out to accept the “fruit” (or perhaps candy!) of knowledge she offers us.  I am not suggesting that we all worship and idolize the image of The Morrigan, instead, I am encouraging that you look upon her as a symbol and archetype, representing the energies and qualities that your particular belief system supports.  You can find your own symbol that represents the qualities of The Morrigan and use that to help you connect to the energies of the season.

Ultimately, Halloween can be a day of transformation and an evening of celebration, it doesn't have to be empty and meaningless.  We can use this time to honor what has passed before us, let go of that which burdens us, and remember our ancestors who sacrificed their lives to give us what we have today.

Have a safe and TRANSFORMATIVE Halloween! 

DoAn
Help in the creation of art, please consider donating! Just click on the link below:
 
DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions in behalf of DoAn Art may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.  
Subscribe in a reader
All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2010 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Honoring the Spirit of Halloween

Today is Halloween.  For most, today is the day to dress up in crazy costumes, go to parties, lead children to stranger's houses to collect candy, and, for many adults, to act like children.  America is really good at degrading tradition to its most base of qualities.  I have long thought it strange that Americans have adopted an old pagan holiday, but then, the holiday hasn't really been adopted, as much as usurped and corrupted.

Celebrating Halloween doesn't have to be just frivolous and empty fun.  It also doesn't even have to be observed in conflict with non-pagan religious belief.  At the heart of Halloween is a celebration of the closing of the year and an honoring of the spirits of our ancestors.

We see the cycle of death around us, as the landscape transforms and goes into its dormant stage.  It makes sense that the Celts would see this as the end of the year, for endings are occurring all around us at this time.  This becomes  a wonderful time to reflect on all that came in the previous months and let go of the negative influences and burdens of the previous cycle, while celebrating the achievements and preparing for the new.  It is not certain where the idea of costumes came in, there are lots of speculation, but nothing conclusive.  I like to think of dressing up as a way of re-creating your new self for the coming year.  It is an opportunity to try on a new identity, see how it fits, before starting the new cycle.  We are not limited to mundane, well-defined roles.  We can become archetypes, heroes, spirits, fantasy creatures whose attributes of which we can connect to and carry through into the next year. 

There is a dark aspect to Halloween.  Many dress as monsters, attend haunted houses,  talk of the ghosts and ghouls that run rampant through the neighborhood. Much of this stems from a very deep-rooted fear and misunderstanding of death and endings in general.  But, if we look at this dark aspect as something positive,  rather than frightening, what might we discover?

The painting posted here is of The Morrigan, the ancient goddess of death and fertility and the land, now most commonly associated with ancient Irish myth.   The Morrigan is a symbol representing the dark aspects that we all experience and possess within. Everything emerges from the dark, the child from the womb, the day from night, light from the void, and The Morrigan symbolizes the power that exists within this place of potentiality. She is the perfect symbol for Halloween as we celebrate the end of the cycle by returning to the dark and beginning the cycle again. We acknowledge that day gives way to night, that the trees and plants die around us, only to return again with the light of spring.

The dark aspect is not something to be feared, for to fear the dark, is to be afraid of our own nature and the action of creation itself. Darkness is to be understood as part of a natural cycle of rise and fall, expanding and contracting, reaching out and turning inward.  The symbol of The Morrigan offers us a way to understand and navigate the dark paths throughout our life, if only we overcome our fears and reach out to accept the “fruit” (or perhaps candy!) of knowledge she offers us.  I am not suggesting that we all worship and idolize the image of The Morrigan, instead, I am encouraging that you look upon her as a symbol and archetype, representing the energies and qualities that your particular belief system supports.  You can find your own symbol that represents the qualities of The Morrigan and use that to help you connect to the energies of the season.

Ultimately, Halloween can be a day of transformation and an evening of celebration, it doesn't have to be empty and meaningless.  We can use this time to honor what has passed before us, let go of that which burdens us, and remember our ancestors who sacrificed their lives to give us what we have today.

Have a safe and transformative Halloween!

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 

All artwork, photos and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Morrigan: The Dark Mother

The Morrigan: the Dark Mother

After six months of work, the painting "The Morrigan: The Dark Mother" is complete. This painting was an exploration of the dark side of life. By dark, I do not mean evil, but simply the negative aspects that when combined with the positive, complete the whole. I chose the Irish goddess The Morrigan to represent this exploration and added both archetypal and personal symbols to further represent the dark aspect of life and spirit.
The Morrigan, ancient goddess of the land, of fertility and death, became associated in more "modern times" with war. In triple aspect she was accompanied by Nemain (Frenzy), Macha or Badbh (Battle Crow). In her war aspect she appeared over the battlefield, inciting the warriors to become crazy with war-lust, and thus, causing their own demise. The Morrigan was not death herself, she was the harbinger of death, and so the Ban-Shee or the Washer at the Ford, became associated with her. She is the Kali of the Irish pantheon, the Dark Mother to whom we must respect deeply.
The Morrigan, represents the dark aspect that we all experience and possess. Everything emerges from the dark, the child from the womb, the day from night, and The Morrigan’s power exists within this place of potentiality. We also end the cycle by returning to the dark, day gives way to night, our bodies return to the earth, and so The Morrigan blesses us by releasing us from her realm and calls us back when it is time.
The dark aspect is not something to be feared, for to fear the dark, is to be afraid of our own nature. It is to be understood as part of a natural cycle of rise and fall, expanding and contracting, reaching out and turning inward, etc. The Morrigan offers us a way to understand and navigate the dark paths throughout our life, if only we overcome our fears and reach out to accept the “fruit” of knowledge she offers us.
DoAn

Subscribe in a reader


DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Looking Before Leaping Forward

detail of The Morrigan: the Dark Mother

I recently finished the painting "The Morrigan: the Dark Mother", which is a mediation on the roles that darkness, death, the end of things, etc. plays in our lives. (A detail of it is seen here. )
And as signals of Spring begin to make its appearance, I feel the need to pause and consider the dark of Winter as it begins to pass.

I think our society often shrugs off the dark times too quickly, thinking it is a bad thing. It can be uncomfortable, but the dark is not bad. I can think of many places in nature where the dark plays a regular, if not, important role: things such as sleep, night, the moon moving from dark to full and over again. If we look to the cosmos, we find that most of space is made of what is called "dark matter".

The dark times offer reflection of past action and future possibilities. So much of my creative progress leaps forward tremendously after a period immersed in darkness. But, this growth only comes when I allow myself to really be in the dark, no matter how uncomfortable it might be. I think when we leap forward to escape the discomfort of the dark, we increase our chances of landing in a worse situation. Sometimes the situation requires quick action, and we are lucky and land in a better place. But, I believe most of the time, hurrying out of the dark, only limits the awareness of our situation and delays the suffering that comes for not learning the important lessons.

So, as we turn our clocks forward, or prepare for the season's change from winter to spring. I am taking a moment to thank winter--the dark time--for the opportunity to work through life's challenges by giving me time to focus and reflect. Spring comes, bringing new energy and respite from the dark time, but it is only temporary, for soon enough, Winter takes us back into her arms for another season of rest and reflection.

DoAn
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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2008 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.