Monday, April 27, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tuesdays with Arty
My lovely friend Sarah is in from Cali and during our hang out time, she wanted to make art. Apparently she loves that I'm into art, so we listened to some soothing music and diddled in paint and wax and feathers to our hearts content! Our general focus was "Dreams" and boy did we interpret it uniquely!!!
About halfway through our excursion my sister came in from Yakima (she's going on a date and also wanted to surprise Sarah), so she got in on the action as well! It was a blissfully wonderful afternoon!
There we are...and there are some paintbrushes...good times!
Sarah and her lovely piece...
her piece close up!
all of our work on the table :)
When thinking about dreams, I was drawn simultaneously to the image of the camel pose (a very heart opening yoga pose) and the hawk...paired together the hawk just seems to be bursting from my heart, and truly this is my dream. The hawk is so fierce, independant and strong in what it wants. And yet the camel pose is a vulnerable position to be in. Being vulnerable helps me be strong!
A dream of mine is to honor the power inside of me.
About halfway through our excursion my sister came in from Yakima (she's going on a date and also wanted to surprise Sarah), so she got in on the action as well! It was a blissfully wonderful afternoon!
There we are...and there are some paintbrushes...good times!
Sarah and her lovely piece...
her piece close up!
all of our work on the table :)
When thinking about dreams, I was drawn simultaneously to the image of the camel pose (a very heart opening yoga pose) and the hawk...paired together the hawk just seems to be bursting from my heart, and truly this is my dream. The hawk is so fierce, independant and strong in what it wants. And yet the camel pose is a vulnerable position to be in. Being vulnerable helps me be strong!
A dream of mine is to honor the power inside of me.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Goddess Archetype
I joined a women's spirituality group the other day, and while I haven't attended a meetup yet, I am really looking forward to getting together with a diverse community of women! One of the online activities was to find my Goddess Archetypes, and while I had some time I decided to give it a try. Now I love personality tests, but this one was totally spot on!
Artemis/Persephone with a twist of Hestia.
Artemis:
-Androgynous nature--containing both feminine and masculine energies--complete, whole in and of herself - her true relationship is with herself.
-Androgynous energy contained within converts to visions, mystical experiences, and a deep, enduring compassion for all of Nature.
-Lover of animals and the serenity found in Nature, on the one hand
-And, destroyer, Artemis-goddess leads the nocturnal hunt deep in the forest.
-independent, strong, autonomous, energetic, born with strong masculine qualities in her nature and, particularly for Artemis, an intense love of freedom.
-Solitary nature teaching her self-sufficiency & independence--prophesy, poetry, music, magic and healing
-Artemis women find that the non-stop presence of others hinders her presence to herself, therefore, requiring retreat into the solitude of natural world and offering reconnection to her inner self.
Some challenges she faces:
-She tends to avoid her vulnerability in relation to others--hiding her emotional needs, even to herself.
-Artemis tends toward emotional distancing--difficulty trusting relationship.
-Growth for Artemis type woman is in developing her less conscious, human relationship side of herself.
-if Artemis is unable to find fulfilling self-expression in her life she will feel increasingly frustrated and depressed.
What was so beautiful in reading this is that even the 'negatives' are worded simply as truths, rather than as personality flaws. For so long I have felt that there is this 'masculine' energy inside me that is combined with my feminine energy, and while I appear outwardly womanly I would say that inside I am more androgynous, at least in how my energies play out. I love animals and nature and freedom! And I that's okay, because it's part of who I am.
But wait...there's more!
Persephone:
-Her nature--sympathetic, highly tuned into people’s feelings and needs
-She is responsiveness to the needs of others - has difficulty saying ‘no’ --difficulty recognizing and asserting her own boundaries.
-Musing and intuitive nature rather than intellectual mind - difficulty ‘explaining’ her reasoning as it is an intuitive perception.
-Strong connection to spirit - deep ambivalence toward outer world & her sense of being misunderstood & alienated from conventional society
-A primarily Persephone type, keenly sensitive, typically possesses a fragile ego structure, therefore, easily overwhelmed by feelings and impressions from her unconscious
-Keen ability to cross over into other realms of psychic consciousness - very at home in the world beyond the physical senses
-Attracted to metaphysics, healing, intuitive, service-oriented work
-By nature she is reclusive/retreating, secretive, possessing a sensitive system requiring time away from external stimulation.
-She experiences episodes of depression, and/or bouts of mysterious, difficult to diagnose illnesses.
Challenges:
-prone to attracting people with severe problems or possibly abusive behaviors
-prone to mysterious illnesses difficult to diagnose or treat
-sense of deep alienation, isolation, depression
People pleaser, depression, strong intuition, musing nature, and highly tuned into other's needs...check, check and check! Wowee, just when I thought my personality had been summed up, it gets even better!I'm noticing a trend, though, of leaning toward the introverted nature-loving intuitive, but wait, there's more!
Hestia:
-Hestia is visualized as a stately yet not intimidating figure; she is pretty yet not beautiful.
-She is kindly yet distant - she possesses the ability to love impartially
-Her demeanor is modest and gentle
-She is self-sufficient and self-directed - inner focused
Challenges:
-Possible difficulties for a Hestia-type woman in today’s world - presenting herself as a ‘non-entity’, in other words--she has no desire to stand out, and not as a result of her own family or cultural conditioning, rather, by her own conscious choice.
-Hestia type lacks assertiveness - she will not speak up - she is out of place in this modern, fast-paced, competitive world
-Hestia type needs to develop an effective ‘persona’ - a social adaptation aiding her in interacting and in getting along in the world when circumstances require
-Hestia type, due to her introverted nature, tends to be undemonstrative with her feelings toward others even though she may care for them
-Hestia’s caring is impersonal, detached - her challenge may be to let those close to her know that she cares
Ah yes, a little twist of Hestia.
To check it out for yourself: http://goddess-power.com/index.htm
Artemis/Persephone with a twist of Hestia.
Artemis:
-Androgynous nature--containing both feminine and masculine energies--complete, whole in and of herself - her true relationship is with herself.
-Androgynous energy contained within converts to visions, mystical experiences, and a deep, enduring compassion for all of Nature.
-Lover of animals and the serenity found in Nature, on the one hand
-And, destroyer, Artemis-goddess leads the nocturnal hunt deep in the forest.
-independent, strong, autonomous, energetic, born with strong masculine qualities in her nature and, particularly for Artemis, an intense love of freedom.
-Solitary nature teaching her self-sufficiency & independence--prophesy, poetry, music, magic and healing
-Artemis women find that the non-stop presence of others hinders her presence to herself, therefore, requiring retreat into the solitude of natural world and offering reconnection to her inner self.
Some challenges she faces:
-She tends to avoid her vulnerability in relation to others--hiding her emotional needs, even to herself.
-Artemis tends toward emotional distancing--difficulty trusting relationship.
-Growth for Artemis type woman is in developing her less conscious, human relationship side of herself.
-if Artemis is unable to find fulfilling self-expression in her life she will feel increasingly frustrated and depressed.
What was so beautiful in reading this is that even the 'negatives' are worded simply as truths, rather than as personality flaws. For so long I have felt that there is this 'masculine' energy inside me that is combined with my feminine energy, and while I appear outwardly womanly I would say that inside I am more androgynous, at least in how my energies play out. I love animals and nature and freedom! And I that's okay, because it's part of who I am.
But wait...there's more!
Persephone:
-Her nature--sympathetic, highly tuned into people’s feelings and needs
-She is responsiveness to the needs of others - has difficulty saying ‘no’ --difficulty recognizing and asserting her own boundaries.
-Musing and intuitive nature rather than intellectual mind - difficulty ‘explaining’ her reasoning as it is an intuitive perception.
-Strong connection to spirit - deep ambivalence toward outer world & her sense of being misunderstood & alienated from conventional society
-A primarily Persephone type, keenly sensitive, typically possesses a fragile ego structure, therefore, easily overwhelmed by feelings and impressions from her unconscious
-Keen ability to cross over into other realms of psychic consciousness - very at home in the world beyond the physical senses
-Attracted to metaphysics, healing, intuitive, service-oriented work
-By nature she is reclusive/retreating, secretive, possessing a sensitive system requiring time away from external stimulation.
-She experiences episodes of depression, and/or bouts of mysterious, difficult to diagnose illnesses.
Challenges:
-prone to attracting people with severe problems or possibly abusive behaviors
-prone to mysterious illnesses difficult to diagnose or treat
-sense of deep alienation, isolation, depression
People pleaser, depression, strong intuition, musing nature, and highly tuned into other's needs...check, check and check! Wowee, just when I thought my personality had been summed up, it gets even better!I'm noticing a trend, though, of leaning toward the introverted nature-loving intuitive, but wait, there's more!
Hestia:
-Hestia is visualized as a stately yet not intimidating figure; she is pretty yet not beautiful.
-She is kindly yet distant - she possesses the ability to love impartially
-Her demeanor is modest and gentle
-She is self-sufficient and self-directed - inner focused
Challenges:
-Possible difficulties for a Hestia-type woman in today’s world - presenting herself as a ‘non-entity’, in other words--she has no desire to stand out, and not as a result of her own family or cultural conditioning, rather, by her own conscious choice.
-Hestia type lacks assertiveness - she will not speak up - she is out of place in this modern, fast-paced, competitive world
-Hestia type needs to develop an effective ‘persona’ - a social adaptation aiding her in interacting and in getting along in the world when circumstances require
-Hestia type, due to her introverted nature, tends to be undemonstrative with her feelings toward others even though she may care for them
-Hestia’s caring is impersonal, detached - her challenge may be to let those close to her know that she cares
Ah yes, a little twist of Hestia.
To check it out for yourself: http://goddess-power.com/index.htm
Monday, April 13, 2009
Whimsy
Allow me to introduce you to Whimsy...
I first met her somewhere around the end of sixth grade, on a Girl Scout camping trip. She was "my elf," and I used to draw pictures of her and let her ride around on my shoulder at school. Whimsy was my 2nd elf friend, after Leila (who I released back into the nature-land because her family needed her)and I spent most of 7th grade with Whimsy as my companion.
She stayed when I left for Yakima. Not knowing what the climate might hold I piled some leaves and pinecones underneath the bush on the side of our house and told her I'd come back someday to see how she was, but I couldn't bring her with me.
I moved to Yakima.
I bought my first razor.
I bought Doc Martens to try to fit in...though I ended up with black ones which were so not the in thing.
I grew up.
But today, as I was eagerly prepared to start on my art series for church, I came across this image and it took my breath away. I started diddling with tissue paper and wax and when it all came together I sat back in astonishment and said, "Hi Whimsy, I've missed you."
I first met her somewhere around the end of sixth grade, on a Girl Scout camping trip. She was "my elf," and I used to draw pictures of her and let her ride around on my shoulder at school. Whimsy was my 2nd elf friend, after Leila (who I released back into the nature-land because her family needed her)and I spent most of 7th grade with Whimsy as my companion.
She stayed when I left for Yakima. Not knowing what the climate might hold I piled some leaves and pinecones underneath the bush on the side of our house and told her I'd come back someday to see how she was, but I couldn't bring her with me.
I moved to Yakima.
I bought my first razor.
I bought Doc Martens to try to fit in...though I ended up with black ones which were so not the in thing.
I grew up.
But today, as I was eagerly prepared to start on my art series for church, I came across this image and it took my breath away. I started diddling with tissue paper and wax and when it all came together I sat back in astonishment and said, "Hi Whimsy, I've missed you."
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Past, Present, Future
"Wouldn't it be fun Diana, if now, as we went home, we were to meet our old selves running along Lover's Lane?" Anne of Ingleside
Today I spent the afternoon in the company of two beautiful women creating art pieces that represent an aspect of our past, present and future, hosted by Courtney (check out her website at: http://thehealingnest.blogspot.com/ )I'm not sure I could think of a more delightful way to spend Easter Sunday!
When I was thinking about my past I kept thinking about the contrast of how secure/confident/beautiful/magical I felt as a child inside of myself and how awkward/lonely/disconnected/unsure I felt in relation to the world. I felt like I belonged somewhere else...a place where fairies and mermaids lived, where I could fly and animals were able to talk to me. So this piece shows who I was, in my mind, and how I saw myself in relation to the rest of the world (the lonely little girl clutching a teddy bear). The star, which carries through all of the pieces, and represents some aspect of me, though I'm not sure what exactly :)
I have been obsessed with the image of the parrot and the hawk as I saw them sitting side by side in this month's NAtional Geographic magazine. As this piece represents my present I was instantly drawn toward the image of the back, since I have been struggling lately with excrutiating back pain from the accident. The birds are placed on the shoulders like the typical 'devil' and 'angel,' but rather than such black/white imagery, these birds both possess qualities I admire and want to embody: sociable, vulnerability, happiness, vitality and adventurous, independent, strong, solitary and driven.
The future is a time when all the puzzle 'pieces fall into place,' and I learn how to "just be." I love the serenity I see on the faces of the girls...they are able to simply be themselves. The purple reminds me of today's sermon about resurrection and living life without fear.
All in all it was a very wonderful day.
Today I spent the afternoon in the company of two beautiful women creating art pieces that represent an aspect of our past, present and future, hosted by Courtney (check out her website at: http://thehealingnest.blogspot.com/ )I'm not sure I could think of a more delightful way to spend Easter Sunday!
When I was thinking about my past I kept thinking about the contrast of how secure/confident/beautiful/magical I felt as a child inside of myself and how awkward/lonely/disconnected/unsure I felt in relation to the world. I felt like I belonged somewhere else...a place where fairies and mermaids lived, where I could fly and animals were able to talk to me. So this piece shows who I was, in my mind, and how I saw myself in relation to the rest of the world (the lonely little girl clutching a teddy bear). The star, which carries through all of the pieces, and represents some aspect of me, though I'm not sure what exactly :)
I have been obsessed with the image of the parrot and the hawk as I saw them sitting side by side in this month's NAtional Geographic magazine. As this piece represents my present I was instantly drawn toward the image of the back, since I have been struggling lately with excrutiating back pain from the accident. The birds are placed on the shoulders like the typical 'devil' and 'angel,' but rather than such black/white imagery, these birds both possess qualities I admire and want to embody: sociable, vulnerability, happiness, vitality and adventurous, independent, strong, solitary and driven.
The future is a time when all the puzzle 'pieces fall into place,' and I learn how to "just be." I love the serenity I see on the faces of the girls...they are able to simply be themselves. The purple reminds me of today's sermon about resurrection and living life without fear.
All in all it was a very wonderful day.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
sleep
To sleep, perchance to dream...is this any way to live?
I've been taking a reflective look on my life lately and examining how my goals and dreams line up with my actions...and am finding myself falling short.
Well, not just short, but I guess I haven't even gotten up off the couch to even fall, so I guess I'm realized that I haven't really even begun attempting many of the dreams that I would like to accomplish.
This week I felt like an invalid. I woke up, spent all day working on homework and watching television, and then around 10 decided it was time to go to bed. While I had been productive, I had also not done anything active at all.
Too often I live to sleep. Is that any way to live?
Last night I just couldn't fall asleep, and today I took a nap and am soon shortly heading to bed. When I'm awake I alternately think about the next time I am going to sleep (or eat) and wonder if other people live this way, too. It doesn't seem like living...but I don't know what to do about it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
