REDONDOWRITER'S SACRED ORDINARY

A Virgin a Day Post #12 - At Home With Our Lady

I went to YouTube to find an 1812 Overture finale to post with my final images, but couldn't find a suitable one, but I am listening to it as I post. It has been such an Advent journey to participate in Rebecca's A Virgin a Day meme in 2011. It is my second year and it has deepened my Christmas experience. I am very, very tired tonight, so my last entry will feature some of my own art, art I own, and my Guadalupe altar at home. 

I built this altar on my nightstand today to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe tomorrow. I made the box with Our Lady and next to it is a yard plaque I purchased in Old Town San Diego four years ago. The Hummel madonna was my dear mother-in-law Mary's but a few years ago the lady who helps me clean house broke her halo and her head fell off while she was dusting. I've glued it back and embellished the cracks with flowers--and I put her away on housecleaning day. I was not raised in a Catholic home, though I converted at 21 so I was shocked to find the embroidered Our Lady of Fatima card in my mom's belongings after her death. The carved wooden statue from Thailand was given to me by a friend and her arms got broken. I glued them back and embellished again with flowers. She wears an Episcopal rosary my friend Gail made. The black mantilla was the one I wore as a young wife and mom to mass every Sunday. Three of my rosaries are displayed. I've picked one of the Rosary Lady's rosaries out and sent a note to one of my sons knowing he will buy it for Christmas for me.

I made this mixed media assemblage at a workshop of Michael deMeng's at Idyllwild Arts two summers ago. Everything is recycled and the sacred heart box was part of an altar my youngest son once gave me long ago. I dedicate this to Noelle because I created the Mary here as Palestinian. The scapular was given to me by my mother-in-law Mary. 

I bought these two icons in Turkey when I made a Greek/Turkey pilgrimage tour three years ago. They hang with my parents wedding photo and a mixed media collage I made of my mom. If you don't know the story of the Turkish evil eye, which is on the bottom at the right, this site explains it well. My friend Kathy brought me back one several years ago and that's when this symbol came on my radar screen. 

And this is a piece I call Our Lady of Longing. I use this face repeatedly in my work. I think we are all born with a God-longing whether we practice religion or not. 

And, so, again, thank you, Rebecca, and thanks to all of you on our journey. You have enriched my life. 

 

A Virgin a Day 2011 Post #11 - Artemis of Ephesus

Blasphemous? Pagan? I suppose many Christians have called the many-breasted Artemis or Diana of Ephesus that, but when I saw her in a small museum in Selcuk, Turkey, three years ago, I was utterly fascinated. The museum was not well-lit and the many-breasted Goddess was closely nestled with many other artifacts. Until then I had known nothing about her and lingered a long while to photograph and think. In the ruins of Ephesus the remains of her Temple is in ruins, but all of Ephesus explodes with sacred energy. I was simply blown away, frankly. 

Several sites I Googled describe the image of Diana (Artemis) of Ephesus as a specialized form of Diana from late antiquity that includes aspects of Ishtar, Isis, Cybele and Inanna. She is a comprehensive figure of the divine feminine, and was called "Queen of Heaven", "Magna Mater" (Great Mother), Mother of the Animals, and Lady of the Wild Beasts. The many pomegranate-like breasts and the varied wild beasts adorning Diana of Ephesus show her also as an image of Mother Nature herself, fruitful and providing for all living things. Her Temple at Ephesus in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) was so large and well-renowned  that it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

It is well known that the early Christians particularly detested the Pagan worship of this Goddess, and considered her cult a rival. Paul tried to lead an uprising against the Temple of Ephesus, converting as many of the worshippers as he could. Ultimately, Mary, Mother of Jesus, assumed many of Diana's traits, from the idea of Diana being a Virgin Goddess to her pose with outstretched palms which is so typical of many Mary statues. Diana of Ephesus' Temple was declared to be the final resting place of their "mother of god". The stones of Diana's Temple were eventually torn down by the Christians and used in their churches and other buildings. I have also seen remains of it in the British Museum in London.

To read more about this goddess, go to Sacred Destinations or Wikipedia's entry on Diana of Artemis. 

When I have studied the religions and cultures of the world, I have always been fascinated by the female goddesses--many who have archetypal traits of the divine feminine. 

I am in the third year of an Episcopal program four-year program called Education for Ministry. The first year I studied the Old Testament, and the second year was the New Testament. This year I am studying the history of the Christian Church, and the fourth year will focus on philosophy, theology and the modern church. 

All my life I have been a seeker and in my 40s I was fortunate to be able to take my M.A. in Humanities with an emphasis on religious studies. Though a Christian, I continue to be utterly fascinated cross-culturally with humanity's need to find meaning. I must admit that I don't "need" organized religion dogmatically or doctrinally but I find great peace in belonging to a church family. It's like going to the gas station and getting a fill-up. I've drifted in and out of many religious traditions in my life, but I feel most at home in Christianity, and have strong leanings toward Eastern mysticism. 

To see the divine feminine from many points of view, visit Rebecca's meme A Virgin a Day. We only have one day left until Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Virgin a Day 2011 Post #5 - American Martyrs Queen of Heaven

This is the Queen of Heaven statue at American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach, CA where I recently attended an ecumenical Thanksgiving service with my friend Mary Lou. I carry a point and shoot camera in my purse EVERYWHERE I go, so she (Mary Lou, not Mary) was patient with me when I wanted to linger to photograph Our Lady. She pointed out that this was Mary Queen of Heaven and although the crown should have tipped me off, I didn't "get it" until she told me. Thanks, good friend. And below is a nice little Queen of Heaven Gregorian Chant you might enjoy while visiting here. 

 

If you go to Rebecca's Recuerda mi Corazon, you can see entries from everyone who is posting on the Virgin a Day collaborative. You can still join, too. 

One More Weekend for Power of Art in Redondo Beach: Don't Miss It!

If you live in Los Angeles, you have one more weekend to see a wonderful and very unusual art exhibit hosted by the Redondo Beach Art Group in the old AES Power Plant in Redondo Beach as 1100 N. Harbor Drive in King Harbor. The dates for this weekend are Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 21, 22 and 23. To see the exact times and details go to Power of Art events page. To see a story, go to the Beach Reporter. 

Not only do you get to see wonderful art, the old power plant and all its 1940s turbines generators, and massive iron panels with dials, clocks and valves seem to be sculptures all by themselves. The building is huge and when the art is juxtapositioned with the power plant’s interior, it will take your breath away. There will be entertainment, food, workshops, an excellent gift gallery, and lectures—and plenty for kids to enjoy—and it’s free.

I took lots of photos this past weekend but I wanted to show you four enchanting ceramic sculptures by Redondo Beach artist Carolyn La Liberte. Double click to enlarge the photos. 

 

 

God willing and the creek don't rise, I'll post more photos as the week progresses.  

Art Journal Page: Sophia Loves Red

A few days ago, inspired by art journal teacher Kelly Kilmer and several of the pages she posted on her blog, I started making art journal pages again. It has been several weeks since I've given myself permission to "play." 

For those of you who read here regularly, Sophia, Mollie and I share our townhouse at Villa Redondo. We are kind of like Steve Martin in Lonely Guy, I guess. Sophia is usually on display in the living room and visitors have largely gotten accustomed to her presence. 

This blog began almost nine years ago as my attempt to describe the sacredness of routine things that happen on a daily basis. Though I hadn't really thought about Sophia before in the context of Gestalt therapy, I have a tendency to keep my "little thoughts" to myself, but when I decided to bring Sophia into my life, she was initially just another way to express a more creative side of myself. Through her, I'm able to express myself in a way that I can't in real life. I also loved dolls as a kid and went through a phase of collecting kewpie dolls earlier in the decade--attempting, I'm sure, to recreate my childhood. Sophia is a life size version of a doll. Oh--I always did (and still do) love paper dolls; she's a three-dimensional paper doll. I also loved fashion when I was younger but in my later years, with weight gain, cellulite and wrinkles, clothing has become less important to me. But, Sophia's clothing allows me to be young again,I guess. 

It occurred to me tonight that I have so many images of Sophia in all her outfits and she makes a good art journal model, so you'll see her from time to time. Just some sacred ordinary thoughts tonight about a tiny facet of my every day life. 

Integrating the Personal Shadow: A SoulCollage® Card

Because I've been so immersed in my art journals the past few months, I have been back burnering my SoulCollage® cards, but I got a nice e-mail from Alia Moore at SoulCollage asking to use a card of mine to illustrate either the personal or world shadow in an upcoming newsletter. I was flattered, then sad because I have neglected this process that has been so beneficial to me. Providing a card is no problem because I have about 200 of them now. But, no new ones. Until tonight. 

This card more or less made itself tonight. 

A variation on the archetype of the shadow, after gazing at it for a while, this is what I wrote. In SoulCollage®, this technique is called "I am the one who---"

I am the one who, as I grow older, lives more in my mind – in my writing, reading, research and art—than I ever have before. I am the one who, though still working part-time,  lives alone and doesn’t have the obligations and responsibilities I did earlier in my life. I am the one who processes her life in dreams, art and journals and finds sustenance in the creativity of those who have gone before me. Though sometimes sentimental in my journals, the personal shadow pops up in my art--and in some behaviors. I am the one who gently teases death because it more consistently hovers as a reminder that I may run, but I can’t hide. I am the one who sometimes projects my shortcomings on others, but the difference in my ‘70s is that I know I’m doing it and rarely act on those feelings. I am the one who humorously joshes the shadow when it wants to dominate instead of integrate.  But, I remain the one who remembers that I have to keep my hands and mind busy so I don’t spiral into anxiety. I am the one who is deeply grateful to those who have helped me through life to keep my inherited depression largely channeled into creativity and to those who have developed  the chemicals to keep a personality like mine on a relatively even keel.

If I could ask this card a question,  it would be, “Given my current lifestyle, what are some specific tools I could use to stay in balance rather than swinging from my light and dark sides?”

This reminds me, I need to make my reservation at Krotona's School of Theosophy in Ojai for their spring program on Carl Jung's Red Book. I wrote about this at Sacred Ordinary last year in an entry called Are You Interested in Studying Jung's Red Book in Ojai in 2011. 

I think the card just answered a piece of the question I asked. I need to make this reservation. 

 

 

 

 

The Right Things Last: Art Journal Page

While I watched President Obama's State of the Union message, I finished off three art journal pages and below is one I'm calling "The Right Things Last." 

You can enlarge this image by clicking. Most of you know that I shy away from politics here as I simply don't feel well enough informed to hold my weight in the sparring that happens when I do. I do want to say, however, I voted for Pres. Obama and if he runs again, I will vote for him again. The expectations of America of a President who inherited a terrible political and economic mass from the administration before him is disgusting. Give him a chance! As for overturning health care, get a grip. Let's improve it. It's doing too much good already. Bigotry comes and goes. The right thing lasts. 

By the way, I applaud members of both parties who crossed the aisle. I was proud of all of them who mixed it up. 

I'm an American and I am proud to be an American. 

Stumbling Toward Ecstasy Sunday - Mother of Creation

New techniques were introduced this week in the Strathmore Art Journal online tutorial but the only one I really liked, and which I had used before, was the use of water soluble oil pastels. I did practice other suggestions but I guess I've been making art journal pages long enough that I have developed a style.

So, I am grateful to Sophia, the divine feminine. She is not yet another God but an aspect of God that I find very comforting. My own mother was far from perfect--and I certainly sometimes missed the mark with my own children. But, when I am troubled--or when I want to play--I turn to the Sophia within just as I often turn to the Spirit of my birth mother, Emily who has been gone since 1967. So, Rebecca at Stumbling Toward Ecstasy, and all of us who play with her, thank you. 

Kelly Kilmer's Two-Day Rejuvenation Art Journal Workshop

Thanks to my son Tony and his family, I was gifted with Kelly Kilmer's two-day Rejuvenations workshop at Stampin' from the Heart in Culver City. Today was the first day. It was raining again so I decided to take the surface streets vs. the freeway and it wasn't bad at all. I'm reverting to being a scardey-cat driver which is a little old lady thing, I guess. Many Californians are nuts when they drive in the rain and I feel very defensive. 

Anyhow, we made a journal from scratch today and so far we've done four pages. Kelly has a photo up on her blog of the gigantic mess the seven of us made at the work table. 

My other son Joe gave me Frida Kahlo's diary for Christmas so this is one page I completed today in honor of her life. I'm too tired tonight to scan this page properly so it is much darker on the left side than it is in reality. Now it's time for one last quick walk with Mollie--and it's COLD and WINDY. 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin Shrine to Mary is 'Worthy of Belief'

On Dec. 12, the Virgin a Day meme hosted by Rebecca ended, but in the meantime, I continue to be far more aware of the sacred feminine than I ever have been. It was a very powerful 12 days for me personally probably because I really focused on my posts and read all the ones of the others participating. I learned a lot and I thought a lot. I suppose my use of  the archetype “sacred feminine” to describe apparitions of Mary and all the imagery and iconography of her throughout the ages could be considered disrespectful. But, the veneration of the sacred feminine has appeared cross-culturally since humans began recording on cave walls. I find this fascinating.

So, on page A15 of the Los Angeles Times today, there is an article by Rick Rojas, “Shrine is ‘worthy of belief’” about the apparitions of Mary to a young woman named Adele Brise in Champion, Wisconsin, near Green Bay in 1859. Her father built a church there called The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help and Googling Adele Brise and the shrine has really piqued by interest. The Catholic Church officially authenticated the apparitions on Dec. 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The church is really fussy about authenticating what apparently are thousands of incidents over time.

Wisconsin? United States of America? Portugal, Mexico, France, Hungary, yes. But the U.S.? Obviously Green Bay is about a whole lot more than the Packers.

And I had never even heard of this place before I saw this Times article. Anyhow, more to think about. There is even a documentary about the shrine available. I'll have to check that out on Netflix. Have any of you ever visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help? What was it like?