Blog Post 1
Myths of Female Psychological/Spiritual Transformation
Myth 1: The Garden of the Goddess
This painting is my symbolic, mythic depiction of female psychological/spiritual transformation. This transformation takes place in the mythic Lower world or in Jungian psychological terms, in the psyche. In order for a woman to become authentic and whole she needs to own all of her human characteristics which include her often repressed strength. She needs to go into, in Shamanic terms, the "Lower world", or in Jungian terms, into her psyche, or unconscious to recover it. Once she has recovered it she needs to make it a part of her. However, once she owns her strength in order to be psychologically/spiritually evolved she needs to, not only own it, but be in control of it. The evolution of the female is symbolized by the leopard turning into a female human being, one who has retained her basic animal characteristics, which include her often repressed strength. The future individuated, (whole) spiritual female is depicted as the Goddess/Chatelaine Archetype with the keys to the Garden of Transformation, and the fierce black dog, her baser emotions, such as anger, of which she is in control .. She is in control of the beast, (inside her)..My inspiration for this image came from the Strength card in the Tarot. Two years earlier I had painted a painting, titled, “Garuda’s Daughters” (see photo at the bottom) in a peaceful garden. In this painting four women represent four characteristics of women, self-confidence, intelligence, innocence and experience; they display these characteristics proudly. Garuda, the male Hindu god , my symbol of patriarchal and religious control, is receding into the background. The water lily epitomizes their bourgeoning womanliness.
In the Garden of the Goddess dwell various natural symbols of spiritual traditions such as the lotus from India, from which Buddha was born, the ibis, a sacred bird of Egypt, the raven, the bird into which many Celtic war goddesses changed, including An Morrigan Goddess of War and Sovereignty… and a bird that I used to represent Native spirituality. The claw-like red flower has often appeared as protection in my paintings.
Garuda’s Daughters
