Goddess Inspiration Oracle: Sophia

KEYWORDS:
the soul
knowledge
purity

The goddess Sophia is considered the divine embodiment of feminine wisdom; her name translates literally as “wisdom” in Greek. In the ancient Near East, Sophia provided humans with the knowledge needed to create literature and the arts. Sophia symbolized the soul in its purest manifestation, often represented in art as having the form of a dove.

Later history associated Sophia with the Holy Spirit in Gnosticism. Gnosticism—derived from gnosis, the Greek word for knowledge—grew alongside early Christianity. Some gnostic traditions even claimed Sophia as the mother of Christ. An important tenet of gnosticism held that knowledge could free humanity from the shackles of limitation; it enabled the divine spirit every person possessed to return to the unknowable source of creation.

Text and art adapted from the Goddess Inspiration Oracle, published by Llewellyn Worldwide. All content © Kris Waldherr 2007. All rights reserved.

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Draw strength from Diana, the beloved Roman huntress. Channel your anger wisely with help from the Hawaiian fire goddess Pele. Consult Anuket for prosperity. The Goddess Inspiration Oracle makes it easy for women to tap into the sacred wisdom of these powerful deities.

From Abeona to Zhinu, eighty goddesses from across the globe are represented in this deck. Each card features a striking portrait of a deity, her attributes, and a message inspired by her unique story. It’s an ideal instrument for creating affirmations, sparking creativity, gaining fresh perspectives, and uncovering insights related to health, love, creativity, motherhood, and other issues specific to women. The guidebook offers in-depth descriptions of each goddess, keywords associated with her, and practical suggestions for working with the cards.

Purchase now.
Learn more or try a free reading.

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links on the side: Karen Zuegner on Radiant City

I’m away on vacation until August 27th. During this period, I’ve arranged for several guest bloggers to visit. I’ve long wanted to feature some of the talented people whom I’ve linked to on the sidebar of this blog.

Next up is Karen Zuegner, a painter, cellist and travel enthusiast extraordinare. I joke (but with good reason) that Karen has the best travel karma. She somehow manages to find and stay at the most amazing places—French villas, Venetian palazzos, and five star luxury hotels, all for much less than you’d think. France is an especial passion for Karen and has inspired many of her paintings; her last trip abroad inspired this travel blog and a website about luxury hotels.

Karen’s created this stunning slide show to share another one of her great inspirations: New York City. It’s a real work of art which features some of her art.

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It’s a great honor to guest blog at Art and Words. I’m a fellow artist and cellist and have been friends with Kris for many years. I’ve lived on the Lower East Side of Manhattan for the last 16 years in a wreck of a loft that has astonishing, gorgeous views toward the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.

This short slide show has some of the moments I’ve captured over the years and also some of my work that has come from window gazing.

all images 2007 © Karen Zuegner. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

• Filed under be-mused, the art world, the world around me, travels | No Comments

Goddess Inspiration Oracle: Kali Ma

I’m away on vacation these next two weeks. During this period, I’ve banked up a few Goddess Inspiration Oracle posts. More interestingly, I’ve arranged for several guest bloggers to visit.

I’ve long wanted to feature some of the talented people whom I’ve linked to on the sidebar of this blog. If all goes as planned (thank you, Wordpress!), you’ll be reading some wonderfully inspiring posts from writers Elizabeth Genco and Ellen Dreyer, and artists Lisa Hunt and Karen Zuegner during my absence.

I’ll be back from my travels on August 27th.

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KEYWORDS:
destruction
construction
renewal

Kali Ma, a powerful Hindu goddess, is widely worshiped in India. She is considered the personification of time that destroys everything. Though often feared, Kali Ma is necessary to life. Acceptance of Kali Ma recognizes that life cannot exist without death; death affords an opportunity for new growth to rise from the old. She is often invoked for protection against disease and other destructive phenomenon.

Kali Ma is terrifying of appearance. She is black of form and wears a necklace of human skulls and a belt of human arms. Her frightening presentation suggests the fears humans displace onto others when they resist change. When embraced, Kali offers the opportunity for great expansion.

Text and art adapted from the Goddess Inspiration Oracle, published by Llewellyn Worldwide. All content © Kris Waldherr 2007. All rights reserved.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Draw strength from Diana, the beloved Roman huntress. Channel your anger wisely with help from the Hawaiian fire goddess Pele. Consult Anuket for prosperity. The Goddess Inspiration Oracle makes it easy for women to tap into the sacred wisdom of these powerful deities.

From Abeona to Zhinu, eighty goddesses from across the globe are represented in this deck. Each card features a striking portrait of a deity, her attributes, and a message inspired by her unique story. It’s an ideal instrument for creating affirmations, sparking creativity, gaining fresh perspectives, and uncovering insights related to health, love, creativity, motherhood, and other issues specific to women. The guidebook offers in-depth descriptions of each goddess, keywords associated with her, and practical suggestions for working with the cards.

Purchase now.
Learn more or try a free reading.

• Filed under goddesses, publications, tarot and oracles | One Response

links on the side: Lisa Hunt on her watercolor technique

I’m away on vacation these next two weeks. During this period, I’ve arranged for several guest bloggers to visit. I’ve long wanted to feature some of the talented people whom I’ve linked to on the sidebar of this blog. Next up is Lisa Hunt, the gifted creator of numerous tarot decks. She’s here to share news about her latest, the Fantastical Creatures Tarot, as well as the inside skinny on how she creates her beautiful watercolors.

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I was delighted when Kris asked me to be a guest blogger for a day. We’ve spent the past decade exchanging e-mails: documenting one another’s artistic journey in a field that is both joyous and frustrating. We’ve celebrated each other’s victories and mourned each other’s disappointments; but through it all, we have shared wondrous artistic transformations with each other.

Amazingly, our latest card decks were both published this summer. She sent me a copy of her beautiful Goddess Inspiration Oracle the same week my advance copies of Fantastical Creatures Tarot arrived. Now, there is nothing like feeling simultaneous triumph and accomplishment with a friend– and it doesn’t happen everyday. This also happened when we both became mothers to our daughters (almost at the same time)—it heightened the joy of our experiences!

My latest tarot deck showcases a wide variety of fantastical beings, some light in nature and some dark in spirit. It is a deck that embraces the light and shadow and brings together two necessary components of the psyche. Kris and I, being in the beginnings of middle age, and both having been in publishing for 20 years have been discussing the need to explore the shadow via our art and writing more at length. This is an interesting development possibly representing our transformations from young and idealistic, to older and wiser.

As young women, we happily delved into lighter fare keeping our palettes imbued in the light, but as we are becoming more seasoned professionals and more mature women, we are gravitating to subject matter that appeals to something deeper; as if we were facing aspects of our psyche that requires the maturity of years to fully explore.

I think my Fantastical Creatures Tarot is the beginning of examining these untapped waters with a confidence I did not previously possess. Kris’ “New Book” seems to be doing the same for her. This is the beauty of art: it serves to document who we are and who we are becoming. I’m lucky to have a soulmate of a friend in Kris who completely understands this process and has become such an important part of my artistic life.

My illustration techniques have changed little since embracing watercolors as a soulful medium back in my late teens. I just love how the watercolor flows and how the drawing underneath slowly takes on a vibrancy with each stroke of the soluble pigment.

How do I create one of my paintings?

I begin with a sketch. I have a huge plastic container in my studio overflowing with sketchbooks. The sketch is the foundation for my work and represents the raw, uninhibited energy that possesses my creative being—this initial brainstorming helps to bring my decks to life. I think people would be surprised to see how closely the final watercolors resemble the little sketches inhabiting my journals. There are some designs that are transposed to the sketchbook with immediacy and others that evolve in their own time. I never force a sketch. I believe an image will come alive when it wants to. This has been my personal source of creative success: I don’t force anything–I let the psyche reveal its muse when it’s good and ready. But to avoid any potential stagnation, I always work on many different sketches and designs at once because there are deadlines to consider!

After I settle on a sketch, I will enlarge it and redraw using a light table and tracing paper. As I refine the design, I may look at an object from my collection of feathers, leaves, acorns, and all manner of cool gifts from nature. I will also (but not always) take reference photos of people, animals, nature etc.. Sometimes I will draw from live models (my husband, my kids, my cat and even my goldfish—whoever is willing!) and other times I will make up the drawing using anatomy books for reinforcement –I’m a stickler for good anatomy and accurate perspective and enjoy the challenges in creating believable worlds with believable characters…at least, that’s one of my goals!

Upon completing the final drawing, I will stretch a 140lb. sheet of Saunders Waterford hot press paper in a bathtub and staple it onto a watercolor board after a 15 min. soak. When the paper is dry, I will take the final drawing that is on tracing paper, turn it over, rub the back with a 4-6B carpenter pencil, smooth it with tissue and then flip it back over and tape it onto the dry watercolor paper. I then use a mechanical pencil with hard lead and transfer the image onto the paper by retracing my lines.

After removing the tracing, I define the details using a softer lead so as not to create more impressions on the paper than necessary. When starting the painting, I usually cover large areas with washes and slowly lessen the transparency over time. I then focus on details with paint that is virtually dry (dry brushing) and fairly opaque. Sometimes I will create special effects using salt on wet washes, a razor blade on dried paint and even mascoid before washes even happen I’m never afraid to push the envelope—and I don’t know exactly how a painting will look until that “ahhhh, it’s finished” moment has arrived.

The most important aspect of my painting technique is that I literally go with the flow. I Let the paint breathe life onto the paper as it will and enjoy the creatively satisfying ride along the way.

Fantastical Creatures Tarot © 2007 Lisa Hunt. Used by permission. All rights reserved. 

• Filed under art and words, be-mused, the art world | 4 Responses

links on the side: Elizabeth Genco on How To Connect With Your Muses

I’m away on vacation these next two weeks. During this period, I’ve arranged for several guest bloggers to visit. I’ve long wanted to feature some of the talented people whom I’ve linked to on the sidebar of this blog. First up is Elizabeth Genco, a multitalented writer, tarotist and Brooklyn neighbor — she’s written a wonderful post on romancing the muses, a subject very close to my heart.

Elizabeth is also affiliated with the Endicott Studio blog, which is one of my favorites. If you’re ever short on inspiration, a quick visit to the either Elizabeth’s or the Endicott Studio site will set you up right!

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How To Connect With Your Muses: 9 Ways To Get Inspired When You’re Anything But

Ah, muses! How I love thee!

I’ll confess: I do love muses. And I appear to be somewhat fascinated with them, as they often appear in my work (of course, I didn’t notice this until an amused – pardon the pun – third party pointed it out). I have a few of my own and yes, I’ve been one for others a time or two (oo la la!).

But what happens when they don’t show up?

All artists face creative challenges, from sticky wicket story problems to out-and-out fallow periods. It’s part of the price of entry, I think, of being a creator. Odd as it may seem, that perspective alone is one of the hardiest tools in my toolbox for when it happens to me.

Here are a few others that have helped me keep the muses within reach and working overtime:

1. Work.

Early and Often. Not to sound like your mother or your high school art teacher or the countless professional creative types who have said it over and over, but: work whether you’re feeling inspired or not. Keep doing that and you’ll be inspired way more often.

I have no idea why that is. But I do know this: cliches are cliches because they’re true! Okay, at least this one is.

2. Make a list.

I’ll counterbalance the obligatory muse medicine with a muse, uh… popsicle (currently my husband Leland’s favorite treat, feel free to substitute your own). Making a list of your muses is a lot of fun, plus we’ll use it in the next few steps. What inspires you? What shows up in your work all the time? Here are a few of mine:

• New York City
• Folklore, fairy tales and old books with the same
• Mythology
• Tarot and esoterica (fancy word for “occultism” don’t ya know)
• Ghosts, ghost stories, cemeteries
• New England
• Ballads and old school folk music
• Boardwalks and amusement parks
• Husband

Just writing that all down gets me excited. A zillion ideas I’ll never have time to get to. Thinking in those terms zaps the lack mentality pretty darned quick.

3. Cultivate, collect, splurge, indulge.

Got your list? Great. I hearby give you permission to bring these things into your life in any way that you can and as much as your budget allows. Behind me is a bookshelf (check out a picture here) filled with books and things on all of those muses I mentioned. Most of them have been carefully selected for strategic writing room placement. This is not an accident!

4. Now go play with it all.

One of my favorite games in the world: go to the shelf, pick up a book, flip around until I find a picture or old tale or old song or whatever calls to me at that moment, and write a story around it. No pressure, no rules, just me chillin’ and having a gay old time doing what I love.

And yet, several published pieces have come out of it, including things that I’ve actually received checks for. Haha! I win!

That’s never the intent going in, of course. The intent going in is to just to totally indulge myself in what I love. Note: I still win.

My advice? Give it a try.

5. Take walks.

When I’ve got story problems, nothing but nothing beats a walk. Oxygen to brain? Check. Healthy glow and spring in the ‘ol step? Check.

Muse and mind working overtime while I’m not looking? Check, check and check.

Bonus tip if you live in one of your muses like I do: get off the beaten path and go somewhere new. Instead of looking at the ground, look up. There’s a huge world in those buildings and it lives above eye level. (Learned this from Rachel Pollack while sitting on a bus heading into the city. Changed my life. Seriously.)

6. Be with people that love you, support you, and support what you do.

Nothing scares the muse off quite like judgment. I’m sure you have enough of ‘em living in your own head; you owe it to yourself to banish them from your enviornment, or (because I know that’s way easier said than done) reach out to folks of like mind.

Cultivating a team of cheerleaders is an oft-overlooked tool in the creative person’s arsenal. I couldn’t do this thing without mine.

7. Make some space for the muses to hang out in.

One way you do this is by working. The rest are trial and error. For me, that means having a relatively clean office (ie, just the right amount of creative clutter), plenty of open space, pictures on the walls (this one’s all Leland), books nearby, and a notebook close at hand everywhere I go.

The notebook thing is crucial. I’ve even taken to keeping a small leaflet-style book (from redhorseshoe.com) in my wallet. Its official job is keep track of where my money goes, but serves double duty for ideas in a pinch. What does this do? This sends a message to the muses, and the message is this: “I love you! I am always prepared! Feel free to stop by any time!”

And so they do.

8. Refill the well.

Creative work is a delicate balance of input and output, and you really can’t have one without the other. So drink up! In addition to what’s on your muses list, look elsewhere. Books, movies, music, plays, pictures, places, people — fodder is everywhere and you need it like crazy. Indulge in your medium or genre, but step outside of it, too.

One word of caution, especially if you’re working in a commercial medium like comics or screenwriting or novels or whatever: it’s all too easy to produce the same stuff that we’ve all seen over and over. No judgments here, just a quick check of the compass. One thing I don’t like to admit out loud (and yet, here I go, about to do it now) is that I haven’t read a lot of the classic fantasy literature. I found fantasy well after I left home, and sometimes I feel a zillion years behind. But I’m learning that there are real advantages to that, too. Again, balance.

9. Rest.

Easy does it. You can’t create when you’re exhausted, and my muses always seem to know when I’ve hit that point before I do. When they stop coming ’round, that’s my cue to take a nap.

• Filed under be-mused, mythic living, new projects, the world around me | One Response