Navajo story of Coyote creating the Milky Way.
Part of the 2019 Alembic Series.
An opening, a moment frozen in time. Rosy jeweled clouds perfume the senses and fade into dreams while three emerald and ruby-toned hummingbirds flit from flower to flower. They sip, soar, and blissfully dust each flower with pollen from a lover. These elements coalesce into an enchanting loveliness, an eternal cloudscape, a heaven within.
The Mojave and Navajo Native American tribes have narratives that portray Hummingbird as an otherworldly explorer, returning in each story with information that illuminates the minds of those who hear it. Small but mighty, hummingbirds are masters of courage, determination, flexibility and adaptability. Skills that always maximize the delight and sweetness in life. Hummingbird knows, always go right for the nectar.
Ultimately, their sprightly nature bathes the observer in radiant delight— dancing fairy lights that guide the journeyer to nectar within.
Soft light dawns as the Lioness presides over her domain, seeding her power and intentions into a divine vessel at the pollination of a new cycle.
The daffodil, sometimes called the lion-headed flower, symbolizes rebirth and new beginnings in many cultures- marking the end of winter and the transition into spring. Here they are linked together to represent a container, a place that holds intention and power.
Bees come to give their blessing in the form of community, abundance, and the power of a personal goddess. They take a small dividend of the sweetness in this new beginning to pollinate future endeavors.
The Lioness epitomizes the goddess and divine feminine energy- embodying creativity, imagination, originality, vision, inspiration, and resourcefulness.
Visceral, raw power can emerge softly; demanding only the keen awareness of its arrival, and space for growth to take place.
Like lightning, insight arrives from this totem from behind the veil. The wish for higher perspective granted as dazzling- and sometimes disorienting states of awareness.
As a bird of prey, hawks have specialized adaptions that protect their eyes and allow them to expertly perceive distance . The most obvious predatory trait is the eyes that face forward, allowing the field of view from the right and the left eyes to overlap- this is called binocular vision. What they sacrifice in their field of view by not having wide-set eyes like most prey animals is made up for by gaining the ability to determine distance. In an almost ritual-like dance, a hawk will bob it’s head from side to side, swing it’s head and upper body in small circles, or even turn it’s head upside down as they use their keen eyes to triangulate an object and determine its distance. This dance is done in all raptors because all raptor birds have their eyes surrounded by bone, called the sclerotic ring. This means their eyes do not have movement independent from the bird’s head. This reflects the “all in” goal-setting style of those with this totem.
However, there is a catch to having this incredible vision- this person may become so focused they lose touch with what is around them. It would be hard not to, as hawks can spot medium-sized prey from at least 1 mile away! Through hunts gone wrong, those who carry this totem will learn that extreme foresight is sometimes best to just be used for observation until the gap to span is a more reasonable size.
Jaguar- gatekeeper of deep mystery. Secretive, graceful navigator. Powerful hunter of perspective. One who stares down our shadows. The melanistic variety of this jungle cat represents the lunar, while the regular coloration represents the solar.
This piece is elaborates on the dual (both solar and lunar) nature of this animal. This person is neither solar or lunar, but master of both realms. Visually represented here: half of the face is solar, and the other half lunar- with colors (and thus the symbolic meaning) from the opposite side present where the animal sees and senses it’s environment.
This means that while embodying one state, this person is still in tune with all facets of a situation, even the opposing side. With an all encompassing view, mysteries reveal themselves and insights come as powerful solutions.
Two forms— one faded and the other flaming overlap as the move ahead, seemingly to the same destination. They share the same liminal space- neither here nor there.
This piece is a mixture of what could be called Earthly Bull and Cosmic bull living within the same vessel.
Earthly Bull struggles forward, his movements bound a limiting view that Bull can only sustain through sacrifice. In this state, movement still occurs, but it can become labor, draining and joyless. This, however, does not mean that there is no value in this approach. At times, this kind of toil is the work that matters most.
Meanwhile, Cosmic Bull bursts forth; knowing that the blazing power and virility of Cosmic Bull naturally gather what is needed to move forward. Always successful. Always bountiful. The only requirement is to break free from inertia and forge a new type of movement- forceful, wise, and still unfolding.
Between these two figures, there is a wide range of balance. This is not a static balance, for there is purpose in every phase. Movement and inertia, flames and ashes. The bearer of Bull learns how to bridge these changing worlds and let them exist in parallel— a continuous, self-renewing flame.
This individual spent time in the Peace Corps in South America when he was younger and still carries the the Incan/Mayan cultures with him. As Llama he is the back on which the community or team can put their trust as they work towards a goal. He is also committed to helping cultivate and spark potential in others, especially young people. He wrote a beautifully laid out book (“Take Charge of Your Future” Roderick S. Baker) about how his unique travels and experiences contributed to who he is today.
Llama’s sense of community-building is something that stuck out to me when making this piece. Also you may notice a little play on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”- very intentional. The contoured forms are an expression of emotion around the Chakana, or Incan cross. The Chakana itself is its own philosophy, but incorporated in this piece as tiny worlds, moments, and intentions that are as immeasurable as stars in the night sky. When a community views this sky together- each looking at a different star, the possibilities for the next step are infinite. -Wood burning with acrylic paint and liquid gold
The lioness archetype is also the archetype embodied by the Egyptian goddess, Sekhmet. Her name comes from the root word “Sekhem” which means “power” or “the Sacred Might”. Sekhmet represents the balanced use of power, and she is a powerful protector. Although Sekhmet has the power to destroy, she also has the power to renew, and to directly inspire healers and healing.
The woman represented in this piece lives a life that has embodied many cycles of healing and destruction, all of which she illuminates with her own power in brilliant and dazzling ways so that others may learn and heal through her own story.
This totem might have the tendency to be overlooked, but Chicken offers us many gifts. The chicken totem/archetype represented here is specifically the hen; which has ties to honesty, nurturing, balance, femininity, and being grounded in the heart. Sometimes, like Chicken we must scratch at the surface to see what is beneath. Chicken asks us to be bold enough to do this with our emotions and make time for honest and open self-evaluation. Chicken also teaches us to acquire the skills needed to use available resources in new and unusual ways, opening for us outcomes that may not have been possible before.
Keynotes of the Silver Fox archetype could be described as, distinguished, wise, mischievous, and introspective. This person chose the silver fox as a representative of the accomplishments and personal growth attained in his long career.
An ambassador bearing messages that balance work and play, the Silver Fox strives for excellence while reminding us that taking a moment to enjoy good taste and luxury is never to be missed, nor should one miss a moment for playful mischief.
Within this sleeping fox a snowy mountain range alludes to a rich world created through a long period of thoughtful introspection. Ever the opportunist, he will remain in this state until the time is right to generously unveil this carefully cultivated landscape.
This piece is a representation of a longstanding, powerful totem for an equally powerful and radiant being. As this piece formed, a strong drummer from their ancestral lineage made his demand for rhythm and synchronicity known. Their spiritual journeys, gateways, realms, messages, and more are represented in many forms.
The whale archetype has keynotes of creation, the power of song, and awakening to inner depths. There are around 90 different species of cetaceans (whales) including dolphins and porpoises. These all have slightly different characteristics that can be explored when deciding on which variety feels best. This humpback whale, known for its song, teaches the ability to draw upon your own creative instincts to sing forth your life song. Sound is the creative force of life- and the ability to direct and respond to it is what all whales teach. To some tribes whales are symbols of containment, concealment and even resurrection. The biblical story of Jonah is a prime example. For three days he lived in the belly of a whale and came forth with new insight. By learning to go deep within ourselves, we awaken the creative forces within. Lastly, we look at the habit some whales have of breaching- or coming completely out of the water. People with this totem should see this as a sign that sometimes it is important to get out of those waters in order to keep contact with the rest of the world. Are you becoming lost in your imagination? Are you not using creativity in your outer life? Are you keeping everything inside? If so, it is time to unleash your creativity. Do not hold back!
