“The Gateway” – #11 in the Re-Connecting Collection. (24″ x 48″) – $3,700 CAD. The original as well as prints are available for purchase.
Warning: I had to leave my childhood nickname ‘Goody Two Shoes’ aside for this post. Painting “The Gateway” was nowhere near the stretch of my comfort zones as writing about it. If you’re not comfortable reading about female genitalia, you may want to skip this one.
But why? As Becky Johansson wrote in the Goddess Conference program for her workshop “Honouring the Sacred Temple; Yonic Wounding, Forgiveness and Honouring”,
“The yoni has been reviled as a source of shame by most of the world, and we as women judged as dirty and unclean for simply having one. This sacred part of our body, the source of life itself, needs to be reclaimed and connected with so that healing can happen for our body as well for the wider world; in healing ourselves we also heal Gaia.”
So here it is – the final piece in my Re-Connecting Collection. Welcome to #11, “The Gateway”. That’s what my Team of Divine Helpers told me my trip to the UK would be and it’s now the name for this creation that was birthed through me.
It wasn’t until a few layers in and the design of the overlapping Vesica Pisces shape that I realized I was being asked to paint a giant representation of the vulvar anatomy.
But following my time at the Sun Lover Goddess Conference in Glastonbury, it didn’t surprise me. This sacred geometry represents, among other things, the Yoni, a Sanskrit word literally meaning the womb, the source, and especially the vulva as a symbol of divine procreative energy.
I confess, I had to Google diagrams to get a better idea of element placement. As a heterosexual woman working in unrelated fields, I don’t have close up exposure to real ones. And high school sex-ed class was a long time ago. As you’ll read in the symbology sections, this led to some powerful and humorous moments.
“The Gateway” has become an important part of how I’m integrating the work I did in body, mind & spirit during my sacred pilgrimage to the UK. Now, it’s your turn to enjoy a visual and energetic discovery of all it has to offer.
Layer by Layer – The Evolution of The Gateway
I started my weeks of painting by massaging the holy waters from Glastonbury’s Red & White Springs into the canvas and smudging my self, the canvas, and my space with the sacred smoke of the palo santo tree. I’d invited my Team of Divine Helpers to join me, set my intentions, and remained open to receiving what wanted to emerge.
As per usual in the intuitive painting process, I started without knowing where it was going. After the first fiery layer, I received inspiration of some of the basic shapes but none of the content. This evolved one layer at a time, one day at a time.
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The Symbolism in The Gateway
Visiting the Chalice Well was the main reason I felt called to Glastonbury this summer after using its waters and energy in my art for years.
I always knew that the cover of the well would make its way somewhere in this painting. I was drawn to this symbol for years before I knew what it was. I then embraced it as a visual representation of the marriage of Heaven & Earth and of the Divine Feminine & Masculine. It’s all about Oneness!
” (The cover) was “designed in the nineteenth century by archaeologist Bligh Bond. Crafted of wrought iron and wood, it depicts the Vesica Pisces, a symbol of the divine feminine, and Excalibur, the sword of the legendary King Arthur, who is believed by some to be buried at Glastonbury.
The wellspring at Glastonbury is considered to be one of England’s most Holy sites. The well itself dates back over two thousand years, and was sacred to both early Pagans and the Christians who later built an abbey on the site. Today, the well is a place of pilgrimage for Christians and Pagans alike, many of whom believe the red, iron rich water has healing and miraculous properties. …
An old legend holds that after the crucifixion, Joseph of Arimathea traveled to England and hid the Holy Grail on the premises, accounting for the water’s red hue. Modern Neopagans who use the site equate the waters with the menstruum of the Goddess.” (source)
Here, I had to choose between the inside or outside cover of the Chalice Well. They’re slightly different. I opted for the inside to symbolize the open well – access to the flowing sacred waters and deep inner wisdom of the well.
If you look at the cover design, the shape between the two interlocking circles is the same as the two vertical elliptical shapes on my painting. That’s the Vesica Pisces.
Not coincidentally, I just found in my web research that The Chalice Well is thought of as a “gateway to the spirit world”.
“This oval space between the circles, this Gateway between the worlds, is called the Akashic or Etheric Field. It is the “bridge between heaven and earth”. The Etheric Field carries vibrational frequencies, sound, color, Light. When we meditate and search the Spiritual Realms we approach the Gate. When we work with Healing Energies, Psychic energies, Mysticism and Magick we enter the Etheric Field and begin to co-create.
If we but trust, and be still we can connect with the Spiritual Realms by entering the Gateway. Whether we seek healing and changes, peace and comfort or guidance and belonging, attuning to the energies of the Chalice Well will help us.”
The Vesica Pisces is also a symbol of:
* Joining of God and Goddess to create an offspring
* Symbol for Jesus Christ
* Halo in medieval art
* Vagina of the feminine- Yoni
* Flower of Life Mandala
* Sacred Geometry of harmonic proportions
At first, I thought I’d be placing the Chalice Well cover design in the smaller orange Vesica Pisces shape (the vaginal entrance), but was redirected to painting it at the site of the clitoris. Divine marriage, gateway to the etheric world, source of ecstasy …. I can understand why it was meant to be placed in this most sensitive spot.
When I told a friend that I’d finally been guided to travel to Glastonbury, she told me that my dates coincided with the Sun Lover Goddess Conference. I immediately bought a ticket, figuring it was part of my discovery process of why I was inspired to be there at that time.
For over a week, hundreds of women & men dressed in sun colours delved deep into the realm of the Goddess. What an intense experience I’m so glad I said “yes!” to.
Every day, sometimes more than once, we sang and danced the “Blessing Song” written for the conference by one of its ceremonialists, Sally Pullinger. As we got to the lyrics “bless you”, we’d extend our hands sideways to meet with our neighbours’. Then, with “bless me”, we’d turn with hands in prayer position. As a few turns were involved, we got to join hands with the neighbours beside us as well as in front & behind.
“Goddess of Sun, Fire, Passion and Love
Heat from below and Light from above
Bless you, Bless me, Bless you, Bless me
Bless you, Bless me, Bless you, Bless me
Goddess, Goddess, Sun Lover Goddess
Shine your Love into the World
Goddess, Goddess, Sun Lover Goddess
Shine your Love into the World.”
I spent a lot of time singing that song while painting the Sun Lover Goddess. It was only once the painting was finished that I noticed how the white dotted arched shapes mimic that of the hands extended and the higher rays of the hands in prayer. Love it!
That’s how it often happens. It was also after I’d intuitively cut the stencil for the basic sun shape (much like we cut paper snowflakes) that I realized that the magenta shapes in between the shooting rays looked like an embrace from the Goddess Herself. It’s a top view of the breasts and two arms around a big gold dot, representing the light within me & you.
In the Goddess tradition, the sun is Mother to the Earth.
Here, she is giving birth to our beloved planet, surrounded by ivy, symbol of loyalty, fertility and eternal life.
You’ll notice that this time, I placed the island of Newfoundland in the centre. That’s where I live. This view of our planet also shows the UK.
One day, while reading the book “Anna – Voices of the Magdalenes” (sequel to “Anna- Grandmother of Jesus”- two books I brought back from the Chalice Well Garden), my brain waves were somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. That’s when I saw in my mind’s eye a crimson ring with the healing energy symbols of the Karuna Reiki training I received in Glastonbury before the conference.
At first, I painted these around the smaller Vesica Pisces, part of the labia minora. But then, after following up on a hunch about the appropriateness of revealing these sacred symbols, I decided to cover them up with another coat of crimson red, the colour of our moon blood and of the iron-rich Red Spring water at the Chalice Well. The energy is still there even if the symbols aren’t as visible anymore.
Ha ha! I got a belly laugh from this one. My Team of Divine Helpers have a sense of humour!
When I first reviewed diagrams of the vulvar anatomy online, I thought to myself ” I won’t be including the urethra.”
Was I wrong! About 5 minutes after receiving the vision for the lion spout from the Chalice Well Garden, it hit me that I’d be painting gushing waters out of the urethra. I may have been slow to make the link, but I still get a giggle from it.
Upon further reflection, including the lion’s head was also perfect for 2 other reasons.
First, I’d spent a week admiringly gazing at the 2 giant lion heads on stage at the Sun Lover Goddess Conference. Second, I spent all of August 8th (Lionsgate) cloistered at the Chalice Well Gardens.
Here’s what Donna Virgilio, my tour guide to Tintagel-Cornwall the day before, wrote about the Lionsgate Portal, when the sun in Leo aligned with Sirius.
” This is a time of healing, awakening, and opening of the heart.
The Lionsgate Portal is open from July 26th to August 12th, sending beams of high vibrational energy to planet Earth. The zenith energies are at their peak on August 8th.
In numerology, the 8th day of the 8th month is a highly spiritual and charged time. The number 8 represents infinity, the infinite soul that we are and the infinite journey that we take. It represents the “forever conscious” part of our soul; the soul that has lived and will continue to live long after and long before this incarnation.
We will also see the sacred alignment of Venus and Jupiter. This is luscious!
Venus is the planet of love and Jupiter is the planet of abundance, and together on 8/8, they make magic! This is truly special energy and such a gift from the Universe!
These two celestial God & Goddess are aligning in what astrologers call a trine, and this is a harmonious, wonderful aspect that will really help to strengthen the loving, heart-centered energy of the 2019 Lionsgate Portal.
Under this energy, it is going to be easier for us to open and expand to love, beauty, sensuality, compassion, abundance, and all the feel-good emotions that come along with it!”
I must have spent over 4 hours layering and glazing the water, eventually adding sparkly 3-D paint. As you’ll see, this sacred water pools at the bottom of the vaginal orifice before going underground and emerging again in the lake & stream that pass between the dancing flames.
At first, I envisaged the dancing crowds of the conference adorned in sun coloured clothing, celebrating the Goddess in nature.
As I painted them, I understood that we, humanity, dance our days as the sacred flames of creativity, love, purpose & passion. Not only are we witnessing and celebrating the birthing represented in “The Gateway”, but are part of the ongoing process, generation after generation.
Sparkles of mica (the energy of love & compassion) were added to the figures amidst the stained-glass-window look of the scenery around them.
We Are The Creative Flames! Let us join together to co-create the world we dream of living in.
The Marriage of the Divine Feminine & Masculine
I knew that my Team of Divine Helpers wanted me to paint a figurative representation of the marriage of the God & Goddess, Divine Feminine & Masculine (within us & the world) at the top of the labia majora, near the mons pubis.
I procrastinated for days because of my lingering limited thinking about my ability to paint human forms. The ideas gestated until I got myself out of the way enough to receive a vision of how to encircle them around the Chalice Well cover. The initial inspiration happened while sitting on the bus thinking about totally unrelated things. It was like an instant download that had me take a deep audible breath!
That last part of the design is so far from what I’d envisaged and drawn on paper first. I had to remind myself several times that there are no accidents in intuitive painting. I had to be gentle on myself and my painting, loving its awkward teenage stage as we figured out what it wanted to become. In the end, I’m loving what is because I let go of attachment of what I thought it would be.
Entering The Gateway – The Mystery Continues
Although my post-UK painting is finished, Glastonbury isn’t finished with me yet.
First, there are many references to it in the fascinating Anna books I’m reading.
Next, while the varnish was curing, I was at my friend Leslie’s house for our weekly business mastermind meeting. During a dancing break (yes, we know how to have meetings!), I felt called to open the glass door to one of her many display cases to pick a card from a deck I hadn’t noticed before. What was it? The cover of the Chalice Well! On it was written, “Follow your heart and be true to yourself. There are no limits”. Leslie had no idea she had this card!
A few days later, I was watching “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” on Netflix. It’s like a James Bond meets Get Smart movie. One of the controversial scenes involved inserting a tracking device inside a woman’s genetalia at the famous Glastonbury Festival. It happened inside a luxurious sleeping tent, one of the many topics of conversation between myself and a man wearing a kilt on the bus from Glastonbury to London. He lived in Glastonbury, but grew up about 3 blocks from me in Ottawa, Canada. We’d started chatting while waiting for the bus and then he asked to sit with me for the ride. When the bus started getting busy, I’d suggested he look at the seat number he’d been assigned when he purchased his ticket online so we could give it to the person who’d say he was in his/her seat. We were both surprised to find out he was already in it! It’s all very very interesting.
Oh, and this may be too much information – but why stop now. After reflection, I’ve been assured that this last tid bit will be helpful for someone. They say that where attention goes, energy flows. Well, after weeks of intense focus on the vulvar anatomy and energy work in and out of the studio, that’s not the only thing flowing. It truly is meno-pause, not meno-stop. After at least 21 months since my last period, I’m experiencing my menstrual flow again. It happened on the day I brought my painting to NL Canvas for scanning so it could be made available for prints – the last step in the creative process. Have I reversed the effects of aging like in the book “Anna”? Maybe not, but despite the Internet’s advisement to get this checked out, I feel strangely happy about this not-coincidence. I certainly don’t want to get pregnant like the 73-year old that my housesister told me just had twins, but I know there’s meaning here. There’s a sense of rejuvenation to it…
“The Gateway” may be the end of my Re-Connecting series, but it’s definitely not the end of the mystery.
Layer by layer, our lives also evolve as we listen to and act upon Guidance. I’m sure glad I did!
What’s calling you?
Title: The Gateway
Year: © 2019
Size: 48“ x 24“ ( 122 cm x 61 cm)
Artist: Dominique Hurley
Materials: Professional acrylics, mica & channeled energy work on gallery-wrapped canvas with painted edges. No framing required.
Genre: intuitive painting, visionary art, energism art, spiritual art, inspirational art
Price: $3,700 CAD
Spiritual Photo Tip 5: Foreground
/in Spiritual Photo TipsVisions of your ideal life make for great daydreaming.
You’ll find, however, that including a piece of foreground in the picture can do 3 great things for your image and your life.
Are you ready to open new ways of seeing & sharing your life? Then dive into this 5th edition of my Spiritual Photo Tips to add more love & beauty to this world.
Foreground Creates Context
Where are you standing right now as you look into the distance? Are you on your way there? Is it reachable?
Invite others into your experience by not only photographing what you’re seeing far away, but sharing from where it’s being seen.
Placing something in the foreground can help friends, family, and colleagues become a part of your experience. It gives them a context of where you’re standing, crouching, or lying down when you’re taking that picture.
Heart Sight:
It’s the same with life. As you share the vision for where you’re heading, it helps to show people the context for your dreams.
Where are you standing right now? What’s the story that brought you there? From what perspective are you creating this vision for yourself?
Foreground Leads the Eye
Including an interesting feature in the foreground of your image also invites the viewer’s eye to travel within your photo, staying there a little longer.
Instead of flicking quickly to the next picture, a foreground element can keep the viewer interested, inviting them to slow down and take it all in. You’re leading them into a fuller experience.
Heart Sight:
When it comes to your own power of manifestation, if you recognize each step you take on your inspired path, that trust will lead you closer and closer to your dream.
By acknowledging each piece of the puzzle as you live it, you’ll more consciously see how your heart is leading you to your co-creation.
You won’t only be looking at a far vista, an unattainable dream. You’ll keep your eyes open for what’s being offered to you now by the Universe and your Team of Divine Helpers to help make that vision a reality. You’ll feel more encouraged to keep that vision alive.
By paying attention to your foreground as well as to the distant vista, you’ll be more assuredly led there.
Foreground Creates Mood
Sometimes, a foreground element is more than just pleasing to the eye. It’s pleasing to the imagination. It can lead to questions, associations, story-building.
For example, I always wondered what these rings drilled into the side of cliffs might be for. It seems way too far up from the ocean to have anything to do with tying a boat. Or is it?
Someone told me they thought it was for rock-climbers. Maybe.
Whatever it is, this photo became about more than just a pretty atmospheric shot of sea & sky. There’s now a possible association with the boat in the distance or with me as the photographer.
Was I the rock-climber? Absolutely not… but that metal loop may spawn memories, stories, curiosities. It creates a mood!
P.S. If you’re using an SLR camera, you can select a high numbered f-stop to have the whole thing in focus from front to back. Or you can use a shallow depth of field and keep the front or back in soft focus. These are artistic decisions. With smart phone cameras, you can also play with this. For example, in these lighthouse shots, the default shot had most everything in focus. By tapping on the flowers in the front, I told my phone camera where I wanted it to focus – making the flowers sharp and the lighthouse blurry in the background. These photos tell 2 different stories.
Heart Sight:
What’s your story? What vision captures your fancy and what elements of your current life can be acknowledged as leading you closer to it?
If you can see how your current life relates to your dreams, you’ll likely be more motivated to keep that vision in mind and in heart.
If you can see the next best inspired action to take on your Path to your Highest Good, and you take & acknowledge it, you’ll likely trust your Team of Divine Helpers even more, removing any obstacles along the way.
Every challenge will become an opportunity, nourished by a strong relationship with your Guidance.
As always, if you’re interested to learn more about your intuition, check out my free 75-minute tutorial online. It’ll show you how to recognize what’s right in front of you.
Please Share
Adding a foreground element along with a far-off scene in your pictures creates context, interest, and mood.
The more you share your way of seeing the world – in your photos and in your way of living, the more interesting your life becomes.
So go ahead, take great photos and live a great life of manifested and manifesting dreams. You deserve it!
Reconnect Lesson 3: Cheers to Your Tribe
/in Re-Connect To Your True Self SeriesDo you remember the TV show “Cheers” – “Where everyone knows your name?” Norm would walk in and the whole bar would greet him with an exuberant “Norm!”
The characters knew they belonged. They felt seen for who they truly were. Why? Because they were comfortable enough to be their authentic selves. At least that’s how I remember it almost 30 years later.
Lesson 3 in this Reconnect to Your True Self Series is about surrounding yourself with those who can see, accept, and love you for who you are. When that happens, you can blossom more fully and quickly into your potential.
Here’s a caveat. You can’t control who that’s going to be. Not everyone will like or understand you. Don’t take it personally. Keep looking until you find where you belong.
Your goal in this lesson is to find your garden – where you can plant your seeds of authenticity, nourish your ground, grow, and bear fruit.
Let’s break this down into 3 exercises inspired by the creation of the painting “With Arms Wide Open”, #3 in my Re-Connecting Collection..
Exercise 1: Spend more time with those who welcome you whole-heartedly.
“With Arms Wide Open” – Prints available here.
Who already welcomes you with open arms?
Yes, this could be literal – I’m big into hello hugs. But it also means those who light up when you enter a room. You can see it in their eyes, in their smile, in their vibe. They’re just plain happy to see you… the real you.
You don’t need to pretend or hide. You don’t need to play games and manipulate.
You know that you’ll be accepted and loved for who you are no matter what.
If several people come to mind for you – awesome! You’re lucky. Reach out to them.
If you grew up feeling like you didn’t belong anywhere and that no-one truly understood you, you’re not the only one.
Know, however, that you’re surrounded by a Team of Divine Helpers (from your Higher Self to Source – whomever that is in your belief system) who cherish you and are ready to embrace you if you ask.
What you want is to have more contact with those who can welcome you whole-heartedly. Connect by phone, Skype or in person.
Be it your dog, a friend, an old teacher, a relative, a neighbour, a priest, your favourite tree, or your Team of Divine Helpers, make sure you connect with that feeling of belonging and acceptance as often as possible.
Those reminders that you’re OK just the way you are fuel your soul.
You’re not alone. You’re never alone. You’re loved. Open more to feeling it by connecting more often to those who already welcome you with open arms.
To help you connect on both the human and celestial levels, I channeled this meditation on Unconditional Love back in 2016. Start there if you feel called to.
Exercise 2: Greet People Heart to Heart, Soul to Soul
I’m sure you’ve entered a house, office, or store where the person doesn’t even look up from their computer or phone. They may grunt a “hi” in response to yours, but wouldn’t even notice if you’d dyed your hair in rainbow colours.
How did it feel? Are you guilty of doing that too?
A friend’s son used to call me “smiley voice” because even on the phone, he could tell I was happy to hear him.
Exercise 2 is about welcoming others with open arms.
In the video above, I refer to how dogs greet their people when they come home. Now, I’m not suggesting you jump on someone and lick their face. But I am inviting you to acknowledge another soul, even if it’s for a minute when they enter a room before you return to your project.
Are you present when people enter your space? Do you make eye contact, genuinely smile, hug?
For the next few days, try greeting others soul to soul – at work, at home, in the streets. You’re all part of the Divine Oneness. Train yourself to truly seeing these people for the expressions of the Divine that they are.
Look past the masks & fears to discover them.
Be the one who knows their name… “Norm!”
Exercise 3: Find Your Tribe
Your tribe is out there though – people who understand your journey or share similar values, passions & purpose.
Finding them requires a bit of work, but it’s worth it.
Keep taking a chance. Express your truth in small doses with those you meet. If they show genuine interest, keep expressing and sharing.
Even if you’re a loner who prefers Netflix to crowds, or are a busy mother who can’t imagine taking a few hours a week to socialize – prioritize finding your tribe.
They’ll boost you up and fill your cup. They’ll help you appreciate who and what you are so that you have more to give others.
I was 40 when I understood what soul family meant- and what a revelation that was! I’d always had 1 or 2 close friends in the many cities where I’d lived, but when I moved to Saskatoon, I suddenly found myself surrounded by people who spoke my language.
I blossomed in those 5 years because I felt appreciated and valued for who I truly was. They helped me see the gift that I was and what I had to offer on levels I hadn’t experienced before. Wow! What a feeling!
So whether it’s through an interest or support group, a spiritual community, or business meet-up – try a bunch of groups or settings until you find the right fit. And if there’s truly no one in town, explore social media groups. They’re a lifeline for many.
As you show up more as yourself, you’ll soon know if it’s a match.
Remember, however, that you’re there to give as much as you are to receive.
And even if you’re too busy to meet them every week, you’ll know in your heart that you’re not alone – that you fit in. And that feels good.
Are you happy with the company you keep? In this lesson, you’re asked to show up as yourself to attract those who will be thrilled to get to know who that is.
No more hiding. Cheers!
P.S. Click here if you want to dive deeper into the creation of the painting “With Arms Wide Open”.
P.P.S. You can order prints in your choice of size and medium. Thank you for supporting my art!
Spiritual Photo Tip 4: Horizon Lines
/in Spiritual Photo TipsSet Your Sights on the Horizon
Horizon lines offer ever-changing beauty. The way the light plays on land or water can be breathtaking.
In photography, when we’re talking about horizon lines, we’re not only talking about that traditional line between earth & sky.
Your horizon line can be a flower bed, a fence, or anything really.
That natural line between things can become the main focus of your photo, or simply an element of composition.
Heart Sight:
It’s the same in life.
What horizon line are you setting your sights on? What are your goals in life?
Whether it’s a traditional one or one of your own making, make sure you know what you’re manifesting. Where attention grows, energy flows.
Keep your sights set high for yourself. Keep a vision in mind and in heart of the life you want to live. Infuse it with feeling & beauty and watch it manifest.
Broaden Your Horizons
Although there are times when having a horizon line dead centre in your photo is wonderful (like in today’s first image), it’s usually best to avoid it.
You can place it using the Rule of Thirds (see previous post) or experiment with giving it even more space – placing it super low or super high in your photograph.
It all depends on the emotion you want to convey – what you want to celebrate or honour with your image.
Do you want to focus on the sky or the sea? The logs or the village?
Be creative! Avoid boring shots with the horizon dead centre. Expand the space above or below the real or implied horizon line and see what happens.
Sometimes, that means lifting or lowering your camera, but more often, it simply means tilting it so that line changes place.
Heart Sight:
The expression “to broaden your horizons” means to open yourself to a wider range of opportunities and choices.
Are you bored? If so, maybe it’s time to expand your own horizons.
Mark on your calendar to try at least 1 new experience each month – by yourself or with others.
This can be in any area of your life: a class you’ve been curious about, a new restaurant, an alternative health practitioner you’ve wanted to go to, a new hobby, date night ritual, or approach to your every day work.
Try it…. you just might like it! Creativity is fun!
Growth comes with stretching your comfort zones. If it’s inspired, it’s bound to open you to greater health & happiness.
Keep Your Horizon Straight
There’s something disconcerting about a horizon line that’s slightly crooked. Most people don’t pay attention to it when they take a picture. But the viewer can feel it – even if they can’t identify the source of that feeling.
It’s easier than ever to keep horizon lines straight. The Edit app in my iPhone X automatically straightens the horizon when I select the Crop tool. My jaw dropped when I first discovered that!
To avoid having to spend time editing later, however, simply check before taking the photo if it’s parallel to the frame or the grid lines (that you can turn on in your settings).
Heart Sight:
Similarly, with all the tools and resources these days, it’s so much easier to stay aligned on our Path.
You don’t have to do it alone.
Whether you get support from a book, online program, life coach, group, or your Team of Divine Helpers – there are mirrors everywhere showing you when your life is getting off kilter.
So when you’re feeling off balance, don’t wait too long to straighten up. It’s easier to correct the earlier you address it. You don’t want that slight unease to get worse. And the quicker and more often you self-correct, the better you’ll get at not wavering from your Path.
You’ve got what it takes to get your life back on track!
If this doesn’t feel true, ask your intuition/ Team of Divine Helpers to guide you to the right support for you. Then pay attention to what shows up in your life.
Or Exaggerate the Angle
Although a slightly crooked horizon line is just plain uncomfortable, sometimes it’s great to tilt that camera at a weird angle to skew that horizon in a totally unusual way.
Why?
It can add dynamism or emotion to your shot. Sometimes, a little drama can be a good thing!
For example, in the first photo, I wanted to convey the storm that may have led to the shipwreck, explaining the pieces of the ship strewn all over the beach.
In the other 2 examples, it was more a choice of design and playfulness.
If you don’t overdo this method in your albums, they add not only to the variety of your photos but of the viewer experience.
Heart Sight:
It can be the same in life. I’ll admit, I’m a creature of habit. I thrive on routine and am not a big fan of change. You can’t tell that if you look at my life, however – having lived, studied and worked on 3 continents and 5 provinces in 2 distinct careers before becoming a full time artist….
Why?
Because I’ve learned that if inspired, doing something completely unexpected or out of the ordinary can lead to the greatest growth.
Living an intuitive life isn’t a straight path. Its twists and turns can tilt your life into unusual angles.
Those guided big changes that seem illogical to others make life interesting and can open up so much for you.
Make sure to check out my free 75-minute tutorial on living an intuitive life to open to inspired change.
Please Share Your Photos & Your Life
This series is designed to open new ways of seeing, increasing the love & beauty in your life.
Know that by sharing your photos and reflections on social media or in other ways, you’re inspiring others
So go ahead, be creative and have fun with this week’s homework – photographing, living, and sharing new horizons.
Reconnect Lesson 2 – Own Your Light
/in Re-Connect To Your True Self SeriesLesson 2 in the Reconnect to Your True Self series was inspired by the creative process behind the painting “Our Lady of Light”.
An amazing feeling washed over me when I was channeling the meditation for our small group at the Renews grotto (listen to it here).
Bringing a candle to Mother Mary to honour her felt completely natural. When she brought one in return to honour us, it transformed something within me. I was moved!
Why wouldn’t our Team of Divine Helpers – whomever they are for you – recognize and honour the Light within you?
If we’re all part of the Divine Oneness, isn’t that light of the same Source as theirs? Wouldn’t they too cherish us and the role our souls have come to Earth to fulfill?
Often, however, we don’t recognize our own light. We’ve been conditioned to minimize our importance and focus on our perceived faults & mistakes.
You are not less than anyone else. You are emerging more fully into the potential of who you have always been.
You are a Woman of Light, a Man of Light!
You hold within yourself a Light of the same essence as Father Mother God, as the grand masters, as all those who walk this earth and likely those from beyond (depending on your belief system).
Like a drop of water that is one with the ocean, your flame is part of the Divine Flame, the Great Light. Own it!
Today’s exercise may be a stretch of your comfort zone, but I guarantee you, it’ll help mirror your light so that you can see, accept, and love yourself more.
Once you’ve done that, it’ll be easier for you to shine bright in the world as the Light you already are.
Exercise: Your Collaborative Poem
When I painted “Our Lady of Light” (see original post), I wasn’t given a name for it.
I was guided to ask my online community for suggestions.
More than 50 name suggestions came in. I took all these, like pieces of a puzzle, and created this collaborative poem.
OUR LADY OF LIGHT
“Our Lady of Light” – Original SOLD)- prints available.
Hail Mary –
Divine Lady of Light & Love,
Mother’s Grace,
Gentle Woman,
Madona du Mondo,
Reine des bois,
Sacred Devi,
Angelica,
Lady of the Portal,
Mother of Light,
Devine Grace,
She who goes by ten thousand names –
Blessed are you
For you hold the Light of the world
In your hands.
Blessed Saphira,
Light of Grace,
Magnetic blue jewel,
Exquisite radiance,
Inspirational Lady of Light & Peace,
Mother of Renewing Life,
You are the vessel,
The Light Bearer,
Virtue embodied,
Radiant all embracing loving Light.
Oh Serene Mother
Light of Life
Connecting with Pure Essence
You have birthed
Divine Vibrations of Radiance
The Essence of Light
The Christ Light
Brought forth from your very being.
Continue to light the way
to Sacred Stillness
I bow to you Radiant Mother,
Luminator,
Wayshower,
Seed Planter of Light,
Mother Goddess.
Glory be thy names.
May you shine your Immaculate Light
That I may see my own divinity
For I too am one
With Mary’s Light
A Particle riding the blue wave
To enlightenment.
I am Light.
So be it. So I let it be. Amen.
Your Turn: Own Your Light
Your mission, if you choose to accept it (you won’t regret it) is to do exactly that.
Yes, it can be a stretch of your comfort zones to ask others what they like or love about you.
Would you hesitate telling them if they asked you?
Present it as part of a creative exercise, homework. Tell them more if they ask.
If it helps, get a friend to agree to do this exercise for themselves too and hold each other accountable. Share in the joys and revelations of the process.
Please don’t take it personally if people don’t answer your call for loving words to describe you.
People are busy or may feel awkward. There are so many reasons they won’t answer – including not seeing your post or your email ending up in their spam folder.
Don’t give up. Call those near to you and ask them to get back to you within a few days. Send a second email if need be. Create a follow up post. Tell them you’re aiming for 50 and need more words & expressions to fulfill your homework.
You won’t grow if you don’t stretch.
Imagine how you’ll feel after you play with all those beautiful mirrors to your light to have your very own poem.
Don’t say “I’m not creative”. Others will have done most of the work here. You just need to phrase it all in a way that is pleasing to your own heart.
Yes, you have artistic license to embellish the list with your own phrasing, qualities, self-love.
Ready to play? Enjoy!
I’d love if you came back here to share your poem. Share it also on your social media. Inspire others to shine brighter through this same exercise.
The more we all shine as the Light we already are – the more loving & bright this world will become. For the love of beauty and the beauty of love, do it. You deserve it! We all do!
P.S. Feel free to use this text to reach out to your circle. It’s short, sweet, and you now have no excuse to do it. Love you!
P.S. Click here if you want to dive deeper into the creation of the painting “Our Lady of Light”.
P.P.S. You can order prints in your choice of size and medium. Thank you for supporting my art!
Spiritual Photo Tip 3: Rule of Thirds
/in Spiritual Photo TipsThe Rule of Thirds is by far the most popular when I teach my Composition & Elements of Photography workshops.
May it not only help you take better pictures but also open new ways of seeing your life and those in it. For this blog series is about so much more than photography!
What Is the Rule of Thirds?
The Rule of Thirds is about where to place your subject in your picture. Most amateurs automatically place it dead centre. There are times when this is great, but often it isn’t.
Instead, place your subject on the 1/3 line to the left or right or to the top or bottom.
And if it’s small enough, place it on one of the 4 sweet spots – the intersection of those grid lines.
Most cameras, even phone cameras, give you the option to show these grid lines.
My Grid is permanently on in both my SLR camera and my iPhone. Whenever I take a picture, the grid is visible, guiding my choices.
Go to Settings, Camera and look for “grid”. Then turn it on.
Heart Sight: Your Sweet Spots
In order to live a life that’s in alignment with your Highest Good, it’s important for you to to know yourself – your True Self.
Often, we live our lives the way we were taught – by our parents, society, the school system, etc. We feel obligated to live dead centre, with the “norm”.
Eating 3 meals a day at set hours is automatic. Going to school, graduating, buying a house, getting married and having 2 kids is the standard many strive for. Working 9 to 5 is normal.
Maybe you’ve grown up simply accepting what’s normal or expected in your culture. Maybe that’s a fit for you.
But what if your sweet spots are off-centre?
What if your life (or those of your loved ones) would be better if they deviated from your culture’s definition of normal?
What if you thrived on 5 smaller meals a day at strange hours?
What if your most productive hours are from 3-11pm or 5 am-2pm (like mine)?
What if working 6 months of the year at one job and the other half on your hobbies is your ideal scenario?
What if not owning a house or a car fits better in your definition of freedom?
What if ….. (you fill in the blank)?
Getting to know and live in accordance to your Sweet Spots in all areas of your life is key to health and happiness. This is as true for your career, recreation, finances, personal & spiritual growth, relationships, environment, community involvement and health.
Luckily, we live in a day & age when taking leadership of our own lives is more encouraged.
Your intuition will guide you. If you ask your Team of Divine Helpers to help you with this, they’ll give you clues. (Check out my free 75-minute Intuition into Action tutorial).
If you ignore those taps on the shoulder for too long, you may be hit by a 2 x 4, some drastic life event that you can’t ignore. You may get sick and have to leave the job you felt imprisoned by or change your way of eating. Your relationships may break down.
Trying to fit in someone else’s perfect picture for your life can have serious consequences.
Living in alignment with your True Self means getting to know who you are and honouring those Sweet Spots. Often, they’re not dead centre with what society has termed normal.
Take a selfie through the eyes of your soul. How can you lovingly apply the Rule of Thirds to your life?
Heart Sight: Unconditionally Loving Others
Understanding that your children’s, your partner’s, your friends’ Sweet Spots may not be the same as yours or of the societal norm is key to building strong relationships.
If you truly want their happiness without expecting anything in return (a definition of unconditional love), then helping them to recognize this truth and live with the Rule of Thirds would be such a blessing.
Health & happiness are not about surviving in a cookie-cutter life but thriving by co-creating the conditions that allow our true nature & gifts to shine.
I invite you to think of a loved right now.
Have you judged their off-centre preferences, habits, characteristics negatively? Are you looking at these through the eyes of love or fear?
Do you want them to be dead centre in your or society’s frame of reference or can you move your heart to both see & accept their version of the Rule of Thirds?
Let’s be clear. I’m not talking about their destructive or reactionary behaviour that results from not living authentically for too long. I’m talking about what would naturally evolve if they followed their bliss.
Please Share
The best way to learn is to share & teach others.
I encourage you to post a few pictures & reflections on social media to inspire others to reflect on how the Rule of Thirds can help create both better pictures and a happier, healthier life.
Reconnect Lesson 1 – Every Sock a Prayer
/in Re-Connect To Your True Self SeriesWelcome to this first edition of my Reconnect to your True Self series inspired by the 11 paintings in my Re-Connection Collection.
Each post will start with a video followed by a more elaborate text version for those who prefer.
Co-creating “Every Dot a Prayer” in my studio resulted not only in this award-winning painting, but in life-enhancing lessons for you too.
Are you ready to emerge more fully into Divine Oneness through connection to your intuition & community?
Exercise 1: Create Space to Listen In
As explained in a previous post on the creative process behind “Every Dot a Prayer”, the imagery that came forth from the intuitive & visionary processes led to my decision to make a sacred pilgrimage to Glastonbury last summer.
I’m sure glad I turned that intuition into action – what a trip!
Taking inspired action can only happen if you’re open to receiving Guidance.
You might have a specific goal in mind that you don’t know how to achieve. Or you just want to know what a next best step would be towards your Highest Good.
Either way, ask for Guidance and make space to listen.
Your answers are within – provided by your heart and your connection to your Team of Divine Helpers, no matter what you call them.
The problem is that we live in a world of go-go-go with rocketing anxiety levels and blood pressure.
You first need to take the time to access that space of peace within yourself where wisdom lives.
Whether it’s carving 15 minutes out of your schedule every few days to contemplate nature or turning the TV off to meditate before sleep, you need to relax to hear the soft whispers of your soul.
What activities (or lack of activities) leads you to that peace?
Find what gives you that sense of inner peace, that purposeful silence. Reconnect with your True Self and with the ones who can see the big picture, who know the Way.
It might be through an activity like painting, knitting, gardening, solo nature walks, or washing the dishes.
It could also be a more structured intuitive-listening activity like my guided visioning meditations. They”ll help you slow down and provide musical interlude in between the guided storyline to connect with guidance before taking inspired action.
Whatever it is, make regular quiet time for your Self. Write it in your schedule or do it 21 days in a row to engrain the habit.
If you never get off the hamster wheel, you’ll never relax enough to open the communication channels with your intuition.
Reconnecting to your True Self, means being able to hear what she/he has to say. So go ahead, make the time for Your Self. You need it! You’re worth it!
Exercise 2: Every Sock a Prayer
“Every Dot a Prayer” prints available in your choice of size & medium.
You may be an individualized expression of the Divine, but you’re also a part of the Divine Oneness.
If you feel lonely, disconnected from others and are suffering from your perceived separateness, this exercise can take care of that.
While making the first dots in “Every Dot a Prayer”, I started chanting and praying for loved ones – my family and friends.
I then extended that to situations that needed an extra layer of love & beauty through my energy-work and focused love.
That lasted a while, but nowhere near the days of dot-making I knew would be involved in this piece.
So for the first time, I asked my friends & fans on social media if anyone needed prayers.
Around 100 names came in – those asking for prayers and the first names of those they wanted me to pray for.
As I sat alone in my studio for very long hours, I became more connected to loved ones, strangers, society and Mother Earth than I had in a long while.
The more I prayed/chanted for others, the more connected and uplifted I felt. I’d reconnected to that part of myself that is connected to all that is. I’d tapped into the web of light & life that connects us all. What a feeling!
You don’t need to make dots to practice this. And you don’t need to do it for hours straight like I did that time.
Dedicate one of your repetitive activities to others. It could be:
The possibilities are endless. What counts is that you get in the groove to remove the veil of separateness.
As you do so, send love or prayers (whatever you call it) to whomever you know could use your love.
Reconnecting to your True Self means reconnecting to that unconditional love that is generated by your heart & soul.
So no matter if it’s “Every Dot a Prayer” or “Every Sock a Prayer”, be an active part of the Divine Oneness by nourishing it with your love. You’ll see… you won’t feel lonely after that!
P.S. Click here if you want to dive deeper into the creation of the painting “Every Dot A Prayer”.
P.P.S. You can order prints of in your choice of size and medium. Thank you for supporting my art!
Spiritual Photo Tip 2: Simplicity
/in Inspiration, Spiritual Photo TipsI’m a big fan of simplicity – in my life and in my photography.
By de-cluttering your images, conversations, schedules, homes, and so much more, you focus your attention on what’s truly important.
This gives you, your priorities, and your creations room to breathe and shine without distractions.
May this 2nd element in my bi-weekly spiritual photography series help you open new ways of seeing your world & your life.
Spiritual Photo Tip 2: Simplicity
Simple Subjects
Absolutely no-one sees the world the way you do. What catches your attention may go totally unnoticed by others. By sharing it in a photograph, you’re sharing your way of seeing.
It’s wonderful to get pleasure from the simple things in life.
For example, the line of the white fence against the blue ocean at a lighthouse on Bell Island (see above) caught my attention. Yes, I took dozens of photos of the lighthouse… but this one was my favourite as it captured the sense of open space I was so grateful for.
Simplify Your Subjects
When someone looks at your image, it’s great if they can immediately identify its subject. What is this photo about?
If you want to focus on your best friend, don’t place her in a crowd unless you can find a way to make it clear she’s your subject. If the crowd itself is the subject, then that’s different.
Here, the bush and water hose caught my attention. I liked the simplicity of lines and shapes as well as the questions it left in my mind.
If I’d photographed a wider shot of the scene, including the building behind the fence, you wouldn’t know what I was trying to show you. Even including a sliver above the fence was distracting (on left). So I took another shot without it. Do you agree that it’s better? (Note: click on an image to see it full screen.)
Clean Up Your Edges
This butterfly image was never a strong one, but it captured a moment before it flew away.
That’s where cropping comes in handy if it’s too late to take another photo. Smart phones make this easy with their built-in app or you can do it on your computer.
As the human eye is drawn to white/light first, the eye kept being drawn to the bottom left corner and a few other distractions on the edges. After cropping, the image was better. Not great, but better.
In the windowsill shot of the geraniums, the white sky totally takes away from the image. Simply change the height and tilt of your camera to cut out the sky.
By the way, white skies rarely look good in a photo. Cut them out. Overcast days, however, are the best for close ups, portraits, or many other kinds of shots without sky because there aren’t any harsh shadows!
Here’s another important reason to watch your edges. When I looked at the first photo of the wild grasses, I got a queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I’d cut off just the tip of that one stem, making it very uncomfortable.
It’s that same feeling if you have an almost full body shot of someone but cut off their feet at the ankles. There are natural places to cut off your shot... not at the tips/ankles. By taking another photo with a bit of space above that tallest stem, nothing distracts from the simple beauty of the scene.
Simplify Your Background
I rarely only take one photo of a subject, especially during this era of digital photography.
I’ll often grab a photo to capture that first feeling of excitement. Then I’ll come in closer or move around until my subject isn’t lost in its background.
Here, shifting just a bit put the shed to the side instead of behind the flowers, making it stronger.
With this hummingbird, I took dozens of shots before it flew off.
See how it’s lost in the chaos of the first photo?
I did 2 things to improve on that. First, I kept taking photos until we were both positioned to have a less busy background.
Next, I changed the depth of field for a shallow one (low f stop) on my SLR camera. You can also do this on your smart phone. If you tap on the subject that’s close to you, you’re telling your phone where to focus.
The closer it is, the blurrier the background. With a soft background, your subject stands out.
Here, there are 2 photos of the hummingbird with a simple soft background. Whether you prefer the lighter or darker one is a matter of personal choice.
Here’s another example before you go out to practice. With these lady slippers, I wanted an overall context shot. But the first was too chaotic. The second made it clearer what my subject was within its context. Then I kept working my subject to simplify both the subject & background.
Heart Sight: Simplicity
Simplify Your Subjects
It’s the same in your life as it is with photography.
By simplifying, you’re focusing your attention and others’ on what matters most.
When you’re talking to someone or writing a social media post, can you keep it simple and to the point? Or do you suffer from verbal diarrhea?
Customer service reps will be the first to report that those who get the best service are those that clearly identify the point or question without going too far into the details or drama.
Simplifying your conversations gives more room for both to talk & listen. It takes the interaction from me to we. It can also be a sign that you’re coming from love, not fear of not being heard or other fears.
I’ve been accused of writing way too much in my blog posts. And although I can easily spend days without talking to anyone but myself, I can also embark on a monologue that takes the listeners all over the place or right out of the conversation (and connection). Awareness is key.
After all, it’s what I teach when it comes to asking your Team of Divine Helpers for Guidance. Stick to one subject at a time. With a clear question comes a clearer answer.
Avoid Distractions
How good are you at cleaning up your edges? your distractions?
When I’m in the writing or painting flow, it’s so important that I block out solid periods of time in my schedule without appointments, dinner dates, interruptions, social media notifications, etc.
According to Gloria Mark, it takes almost 25 minutes for the mind to refocus after checking Facebook (23 minutes and 15 seconds, to be exact). Wow!
I’m definitely the most connected & fruitful during my 12 to 16-hour marathons. They don’t happen every week, but if I have a big project, I prefer focusing on 1 thing at a time for a long time.
It’s the same for my nature walks. They’re so much more enjoyable if I don’t have a fixed time to get back home.
The less things in my schedule, the more space I have to follow my intuition and work on what matters most.
And if I do have a series of errands to run, I like to borrow the car once and get them all done effectively in a loop. Getting easily drained in crowded spaces has helped me become very organized.
Simplify Your Background
How do you function when surrounded by chaos?
If my desk, desktop, walls, studio, or fridge are too cluttered, I don’t feel as motivated to create.
If my house is too cluttered, I don’t feel as comfortable or at ease.
And if my schedule is too cluttered, I can easily tip into overwhelm or frustration.
Creating a life by design that focuses on who or what’s important to you means saying no to other things. It’s all about priorities.
Focus, clarity, beauty, and love stand out when you let go of the rest.
It may not have been easy financially to become a full-time artist – yet! – but I’m so grateful for the simple life I lead focused on what I value most: time in nature, creating art, sharing inspiration, 2-week trips to Ottawa to be with my family, studying, etc.
I’m certainly not suffering! I’ve just learned to spend wisely and earn creatively.
When I returned from a year of art studies overseas in 2014, I rented a room in a beautifully peaceful home by the river close to downtown St. John’s. I live in the lap of luxury at a fraction of the cost! I not only get to share this beautiful nature sanctuary and car with my generous house-sister, but I get to spend my time creating and sharing in ways that are aligned with my values.
I’ll admit, more painting sales would simplify both the management of my inventory and occasional concerns about finances. So if you’re moved to beautify your space & your life, check out my energy-infused art & intuitive services.
Have Fun!
How can you apply the photo & life tips in this blog post to live a simpler & richer life?
And please share some of your photos with your friends online or in person. It’s a great way for them to get to know how you see the world.
Remember last week’s Spiritual Photo Tip on Context and add Simplicity to the mix.
Re-Connect to Your True Self Series- Lessons in Being
/in Re-Connect To Your True Self SeriesSpiritual Photo Tip 1: Context
/in Inspiration, Spiritual Photo TipsWho wouldn’t want more love & beauty in their lives?
This spiritual photo tip series is a about a lot more than just taking better pictures.
It’s about opening a new way of seeing the world around you and those in it, including yourself!
Your camera, be it an SLR or your phone, can be a mindfulness tool for a greater appreciation of your environment and humanity.
If that appeals to you, make sure to come back every 2 weeks for the next 9 months.
Each post will start with a basic composition or element of photography tip followed by practical exercises to apply it to your life and the people in it.
Spiritual Photo Tip 1: Context
Wether you’re taking pictures for your own memory books or to share on social media, it’s good to give your viewer a context.
Go wide, medium, close & closer.
Give people a better idea of where you are. It not only creates variety in your snapshots, but brings people in with you.
I’m a big fan of close-ups. They’ve taught me to slow down and truly look at the world around me – the intricately fascinating details that can only be seen through a long lens or down on your belly.
But if I only shared an album of close-ups, it wouldn’t help my Friends from around the world know where these were taken. I like to give them the full picture of my experiences.
Try it yourself this week – on your walks, in your office, or in a new location. Take at least 4 shots: wide, medium, close, and closer.
Then share them! Let people in to your way of seeing. It’s as unique as you are!
Heart Sight Practice: Giving a Fuller Picture
And the only way to know that, is if you’re showing who that is to the people around you.
As Dr. Greg Baer explains in his amazing book series on Real Love, you first have to be seen to be accepted and really loved.
If you’re only loved for your masks, then you’ll never really feel loved.
Sure, it may not be appropriate or safe even to divulge your whole truth in certain contexts, but with this week’s spiritual photo tip, I ask you to think about where or with whom you can give a fuller picture of who you are.
First, think about where people already get to see either the big picture or just the close-up details of your life.
Then share a little more about the context of your life: wide (background, history), medium (how you spend or would like to spend your days), close (what’s most important to you), closer (challenges, opinions, beliefs, feelings).
If people aren’t interested, that’s OK. Move on.
By showing more of the real you in more contexts, you’ll eventually find Real Love: true friends, a loving partner, more understanding colleagues, a closer knit family, etc.
Heart Sight Reflection: Seeing a Bigger Picture
Where are you so caught up in the details or drama of someone’s life that you’ve forgotten to look at the big picture?
Where in your life are you being asked to take a step back to breathe, regain perspective, and understand why that other person or situation is the way he/she/it is?
Have you asked? Or are you in reaction mode because of how it affects you?
Looking at the context can help give you a better appreciation for that person/situation and open your heart to compassion.
How can you become unconditionally loving by truly seeing past the masks so that you too can see, accept and love the truth?
By the way, this applies as much to yourself as it does to others. Re-read this section with you in mind/heart.
Please Share Your Photos With Your Friends
Photography has taught me so much about being present, slowing down, and truly seeing the beauty around me. It’s everywhere.
I share thousands of nature & travel photos on Flickr & Facebook (my Page & Profile).
Why? It’s one way I honour & celebrate Creation. It’s part of how I explore & express my love of beauty and the beauty of love – my purpose in life.
It’s also inspiring more people to get outdoors for their own wellness walks. And for those that can’t, it’s bringing some of the energetic benefits of nature in to them.
Beauty is healing. It’s inspiring! And beauty breaks can be taken anywhere.
The principles you’ll be learning in this series apply no matter where you are, what type of camera you’re using, or your subject – indoors or outdoors.
But as you can see, it’s about a lot more than just photography.
If you’re looking for beauty, you’ll find it!
So join me for the next 9 months to train yourself into new ways of seeing yourself & the world around you.
Enjoy the transformational journey and remember to share it with your friends too, spreading love & beauty in the world.
P.S. My current home of Newfoundland & Labrador in Canada is rich in natural beauty, but the principles here can be applied to a city street or your backyard. The icebergs featured here were photographed in Twillingate & St. John’s. The other photos were of this past weekend’s hike with my friends Leslie Bridger & Benny Dalton along the East Coast Trail from Cape Spear, the most easterly point of North America.
Re-Connecting #11- The Gateway
/in Paintings, Re-Connecting Collection“The Gateway” – #11 in the Re-Connecting Collection. (24″ x 48″) – $3,700 CAD. The original as well as prints are available for purchase.
Warning: I had to leave my childhood nickname ‘Goody Two Shoes’ aside for this post. Painting “The Gateway” was nowhere near the stretch of my comfort zones as writing about it. If you’re not comfortable reading about female genitalia, you may want to skip this one.
But why? As Becky Johansson wrote in the Goddess Conference program for her workshop “Honouring the Sacred Temple; Yonic Wounding, Forgiveness and Honouring”,
So here it is – the final piece in my Re-Connecting Collection. Welcome to #11, “The Gateway”. That’s what my Team of Divine Helpers told me my trip to the UK would be and it’s now the name for this creation that was birthed through me.
It wasn’t until a few layers in and the design of the overlapping Vesica Pisces shape that I realized I was being asked to paint a giant representation of the vulvar anatomy.
But following my time at the Sun Lover Goddess Conference in Glastonbury, it didn’t surprise me. This sacred geometry represents, among other things, the Yoni, a Sanskrit word literally meaning the womb, the source, and especially the vulva as a symbol of divine procreative energy.
I confess, I had to Google diagrams to get a better idea of element placement. As a heterosexual woman working in unrelated fields, I don’t have close up exposure to real ones. And high school sex-ed class was a long time ago. As you’ll read in the symbology sections, this led to some powerful and humorous moments.
“The Gateway” has become an important part of how I’m integrating the work I did in body, mind & spirit during my sacred pilgrimage to the UK. Now, it’s your turn to enjoy a visual and energetic discovery of all it has to offer.
Layer by Layer – The Evolution of The Gateway
I started my weeks of painting by massaging the holy waters from Glastonbury’s Red & White Springs into the canvas and smudging my self, the canvas, and my space with the sacred smoke of the palo santo tree. I’d invited my Team of Divine Helpers to join me, set my intentions, and remained open to receiving what wanted to emerge.
As per usual in the intuitive painting process, I started without knowing where it was going. After the first fiery layer, I received inspiration of some of the basic shapes but none of the content. This evolved one layer at a time, one day at a time.
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The Symbolism in The Gateway
The Chalice Well Cover
I always knew that the cover of the well would make its way somewhere in this painting. I was drawn to this symbol for years before I knew what it was. I then embraced it as a visual representation of the marriage of Heaven & Earth and of the Divine Feminine & Masculine. It’s all about Oneness!
If you look at the cover design, the shape between the two interlocking circles is the same as the two vertical elliptical shapes on my painting. That’s the Vesica Pisces.
Not coincidentally, I just found in my web research that The Chalice Well is thought of as a “gateway to the spirit world”.
The Vesica Pisces is also a symbol of:
At first, I thought I’d be placing the Chalice Well cover design in the smaller orange Vesica Pisces shape (the vaginal entrance), but was redirected to painting it at the site of the clitoris. Divine marriage, gateway to the etheric world, source of ecstasy …. I can understand why it was meant to be placed in this most sensitive spot.
The Sun
When I told a friend that I’d finally been guided to travel to Glastonbury, she told me that my dates coincided with the Sun Lover Goddess Conference. I immediately bought a ticket, figuring it was part of my discovery process of why I was inspired to be there at that time.
For over a week, hundreds of women & men dressed in sun colours delved deep into the realm of the Goddess. What an intense experience I’m so glad I said “yes!” to.
Every day, sometimes more than once, we sang and danced the “Blessing Song” written for the conference by one of its ceremonialists, Sally Pullinger. As we got to the lyrics “bless you”, we’d extend our hands sideways to meet with our neighbours’. Then, with “bless me”, we’d turn with hands in prayer position. As a few turns were involved, we got to join hands with the neighbours beside us as well as in front & behind.
I spent a lot of time singing that song while painting the Sun Lover Goddess. It was only once the painting was finished that I noticed how the white dotted arched shapes mimic that of the hands extended and the higher rays of the hands in prayer. Love it!
That’s how it often happens. It was also after I’d intuitively cut the stencil for the basic sun shape (much like we cut paper snowflakes) that I realized that the magenta shapes in between the shooting rays looked like an embrace from the Goddess Herself. It’s a top view of the breasts and two arms around a big gold dot, representing the light within me & you.
Birthing the Earth
In the Goddess tradition, the sun is Mother to the Earth.
Here, she is giving birth to our beloved planet, surrounded by ivy, symbol of loyalty, fertility and eternal life.
You’ll notice that this time, I placed the island of Newfoundland in the centre. That’s where I live. This view of our planet also shows the UK.
One day, while reading the book “Anna – Voices of the Magdalenes” (sequel to “Anna- Grandmother of Jesus”- two books I brought back from the Chalice Well Garden), my brain waves were somewhere between sleep and wakefulness. That’s when I saw in my mind’s eye a crimson ring with the healing energy symbols of the Karuna Reiki training I received in Glastonbury before the conference.
At first, I painted these around the smaller Vesica Pisces, part of the labia minora. But then, after following up on a hunch about the appropriateness of revealing these sacred symbols, I decided to cover them up with another coat of crimson red, the colour of our moon blood and of the iron-rich Red Spring water at the Chalice Well. The energy is still there even if the symbols aren’t as visible anymore.
The Lion
Ha ha! I got a belly laugh from this one. My Team of Divine Helpers have a sense of humour!
When I first reviewed diagrams of the vulvar anatomy online, I thought to myself ” I won’t be including the urethra.”
Upon further reflection, including the lion’s head was also perfect for 2 other reasons.
First, I’d spent a week admiringly gazing at the 2 giant lion heads on stage at the Sun Lover Goddess Conference. Second, I spent all of August 8th (Lionsgate) cloistered at the Chalice Well Gardens.
Here’s what Donna Virgilio, my tour guide to Tintagel-Cornwall the day before, wrote about the Lionsgate Portal, when the sun in Leo aligned with Sirius.
I must have spent over 4 hours layering and glazing the water, eventually adding sparkly 3-D paint. As you’ll see, this sacred water pools at the bottom of the vaginal orifice before going underground and emerging again in the lake & stream that pass between the dancing flames.
The Dancers
At first, I envisaged the dancing crowds of the conference adorned in sun coloured clothing, celebrating the Goddess in nature.
As I painted them, I understood that we, humanity, dance our days as the sacred flames of creativity, love, purpose & passion. Not only are we witnessing and celebrating the birthing represented in “The Gateway”, but are part of the ongoing process, generation after generation.
Sparkles of mica (the energy of love & compassion) were added to the figures amidst the stained-glass-window look of the scenery around them.
We Are The Creative Flames! Let us join together to co-create the world we dream of living in.
The Marriage of the Divine Feminine & Masculine
I knew that my Team of Divine Helpers wanted me to paint a figurative representation of the marriage of the God & Goddess, Divine Feminine & Masculine (within us & the world) at the top of the labia majora, near the mons pubis.
I procrastinated for days because of my lingering limited thinking about my ability to paint human forms. The ideas gestated until I got myself out of the way enough to receive a vision of how to encircle them around the Chalice Well cover. The initial inspiration happened while sitting on the bus thinking about totally unrelated things. It was like an instant download that had me take a deep audible breath!
That last part of the design is so far from what I’d envisaged and drawn on paper first. I had to remind myself several times that there are no accidents in intuitive painting. I had to be gentle on myself and my painting, loving its awkward teenage stage as we figured out what it wanted to become. In the end, I’m loving what is because I let go of attachment of what I thought it would be.
Entering The Gateway – The Mystery Continues
Although my post-UK painting is finished, Glastonbury isn’t finished with me yet.
First, there are many references to it in the fascinating Anna books I’m reading.
Next, while the varnish was curing, I was at my friend Leslie’s house for our weekly business mastermind meeting. During a dancing break (yes, we know how to have meetings!), I felt called to open the glass door to one of her many display cases to pick a card from a deck I hadn’t noticed before. What was it? The cover of the Chalice Well! On it was written, “Follow your heart and be true to yourself. There are no limits”. Leslie had no idea she had this card!
A few days later, I was watching “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” on Netflix. It’s like a James Bond meets Get Smart movie. One of the controversial scenes involved inserting a tracking device inside a woman’s genetalia at the famous Glastonbury Festival. It happened inside a luxurious sleeping tent, one of the many topics of conversation between myself and a man wearing a kilt on the bus from Glastonbury to London. He lived in Glastonbury, but grew up about 3 blocks from me in Ottawa, Canada. We’d started chatting while waiting for the bus and then he asked to sit with me for the ride. When the bus started getting busy, I’d suggested he look at the seat number he’d been assigned when he purchased his ticket online so we could give it to the person who’d say he was in his/her seat. We were both surprised to find out he was already in it! It’s all very very interesting.
Oh, and this may be too much information – but why stop now. After reflection, I’ve been assured that this last tid bit will be helpful for someone. They say that where attention goes, energy flows. Well, after weeks of intense focus on the vulvar anatomy and energy work in and out of the studio, that’s not the only thing flowing. It truly is meno-pause, not meno-stop. After at least 21 months since my last period, I’m experiencing my menstrual flow again. It happened on the day I brought my painting to NL Canvas for scanning so it could be made available for prints – the last step in the creative process. Have I reversed the effects of aging like in the book “Anna”? Maybe not, but despite the Internet’s advisement to get this checked out, I feel strangely happy about this not-coincidence. I certainly don’t want to get pregnant like the 73-year old that my housesister told me just had twins, but I know there’s meaning here. There’s a sense of rejuvenation to it…
“The Gateway” may be the end of my Re-Connecting series, but it’s definitely not the end of the mystery.
Layer by layer, our lives also evolve as we listen to and act upon Guidance. I’m sure glad I did!
What’s calling you?