Saturday, December 28, 2013

A gathering of Goddesses

A Gathering of Goddesses
 My dreams have been so vivid as of late. And I wake up still suspended in them. I often dream of the future or receive messages for others as I sleep. The qualities of my recent dreams have been rather spectacular in a Hollywood way. Unusually so to the point of waking me and asking me to affirm aloud that I will do what is asked of me.

In early 2000 I held several Art Retreats and called them” A Gathering of Goddesses.” They were 3 days of classes, friendships, food and alcohol and creating art with Spa services thrown in. A good time was had by all.

In my 6 months of planning this event  I had begun to explore the Goddess stories, myths and teachings seriously then and began to see the goddess in every woman.
 I was extremely shy about opening up my spiritual life and my abilities to heal and walk between the worlds but desperately wanted to celebrate our kinship as women and how far we have come.

I spent many happy hours searching bookstores and websites discovering many books and art about and surrounding the Goddesses of all people around the world. Just as I had as  a teenager in the arts programs and  competition in retold stories, I spent several years researching the Fae and memorizing every fairy tale I could get my hands on. I had played and talked to the faeries since I was a wee child. I thought everyone saw them and discovered the hard way to shut the hell up or suffer slaps for lying

 During that 6 months I amassed quite a collection Books, divination cards, amulets, art, and statuary. Venus of Willendorf my first statue.  And quite a surprise to see that she was built like a real woman not like a Barbie doll.


Anyway back to today, all these lovely things have been residing in my library lined up, quietly waiting and BAMMM I get the direct message time to write about the Goddesses.

Introduce and inspire share.

So here goes
Cerridwyn came to my dreams and spelled out her name so I couldn’t mistake who she is. In a search for something else I pulled a deck of Cards “Goddess Guidance Oracle cards by Doreen Virtue” out of my nightstand and had them lying on table top. I glanced at them before going off to sleep that evening and low and behold here came Cerridwyn in a Broadway review.  I ignored it. Next night dream reoccurred bigger and louder, again I ignored. Night number #3  I woke up three different times my ears ringing from the spectacle and her name being spelled and respelled like neon lighting. A voice then asked Do you understand?

 Ok Ok OK!

 So my dear friends here is the curious part, I awoke that morning and picked up the deck of cards and began looking for the Cerridwyn Card. None was there, I when off to my library and began to root out all books connected with Goddesses. I could not find mention of her anywhere. WTF was going on?


 I searched for several hours, at last I located the right book and while paging thru found her.
 The book “Goddess Alive” by Michelle Skye
 There she is” Cerridwyn “beaming with delight. She is a Welch Goddess the original crone with her magic cauldron celebrated at Winter Solstice.
Birthing 2 children A daughter representing the light, beauty and all that is good and a son representing the dark , ugly and our shadow and all the we fear
. Isn’t that a twist??


 As I read more and more I got the image of Mad Madame Mim from the Disney movie “Sword in the Stone.
Why you asked? Well her story talks about her ability to shape shift with amazing speed and cunning. 










In the story after a series of unfortunate events  Cerridwyn must not let Gwoin  a young boy from the village who has been her helper of sorts out into the world as he now knows the sacred magical wisdom. By mistake Gwoin received 3 drops of Cerridwyn magic potion meant for her son
  Cerridwyn has worked a year and a day to create this potion and is determined to catch Gwoin as he runs away while beginning to shape shift. Everything he shifts into she countermines with a better shift and triumphs at last by shape shifting into a hen that eats Gwion who has become a grain of wheat hiding in the grain shed.
 Nine months later she then gives birth to Gwoin and he becomes the Taliesin/Merlin born to teach and share wisdom and light he received from the potion with the world.



Per her request I present Cerridwyn messages to the world


  • Nothing you do is wasted.
  •  Every experience good or bad is a piece of the puzzle forged each year and bit by bit creates the fabulous you.   
  •  For every failure has a success is waiting right around the corner.
  •  Rebirth and renewal   are always possible when we are ready
  •  Peace within is found by learning to Balance light and dark parts of our souls


May Cerridwyn Blessings flow to you as the sun returns merging back to into the coming year
 Now is the time to  plan your next new adventure as we move into  2014
 Bright Blessings and Sweet dreams  
Peg

Tuesday, December 03, 2013

November Full Moon #9 - Gwen is Inspired by Turn of the Century Architecture to Create a Cantilevered Buck Patronus Sculpture

Turn of the century Pacific Northwest Architecture is my muse for the November Moon Little Alters Exchange.  I enjoy studying & observing architecture. Even took the architectural walk through downtown Seattle, thanks to Peg, with the former PMC Guild. I'm always inspired by how artistic each angle is and how photogenic buildings are.  


B.P.O.E. Building in 2013. A Bit rusty, but waiting for McMenamins to spruce it up.  Photo by Gwen Gyldenege Copyright (c) 2013 all rights reserved.
B.P.O.E. Building in 2013. A Bit rusty, but waiting for McMenamins to spruce it up.  Photo by Gwen Gyldenege Copyright (c) 2013 all rights reserved.
The building and buck over the entrance in the above photo inspired this "Harry Potter/Prisoner of Azkaban Patronus" style deer to be sculpted in polymer clay as a cantilever sculpture. Both the deer and cantilever sculptures are a first for me. 




If you'd like to read more about how I used paper clay, polymer clay, dylusions inks, acrylic paint pens, and went about securing such a heavy object in cantilever (90 deg from the flat surface of the background) and find some links on the research I did, please head over to my blog for full details: 
http://www.calmundertension.com/1/post/2013/12/allowing-architecture-to-inspire-polymer-sculptures-for-the-little-alters-november-moon-exchange.html

Monday, December 02, 2013

November Full Moon #8

November Moon's 2013 Little Alters arrives to Cyn today.  It's been a busy month of Nov. for the Kostalhaus as Karl, my husband retires this month with 36 years with King County Parks.  This month finds me very grateful for the wonderful career Karl has had with the KC Parks Dept. and the very special journey we've taken these many years together.

My inspiration this month for Cyn was Birdie's.  I know Cyn loves black birds and thought a pair of birdy earrings would be special for her and a challenge for me.  Soldering has been my main focus this session at school.  A couple of years ago during an outing at the Washington House on the coast, I was the LUCKY recipient of a great book "Chains Chains Chains: 25 necklaces, bracelets & earrings" by Joanna Gollberg and Nathalie Mornu.  I chose "Flock" by designer: Shirlee Grund.  It's 4 birdies loosely soldered together and hung as earrings. I also made Cyn's single birdie post earrings and have almost finished (2) pins that have a Brass back with 3 Silver birdies stacked on the front.  Soldering takes practice, practice and still more practice.

I had some salmon colored handmade paper for the background and used some sweet paper flowers for the side borders.  ( Peg had included it in one of our many Littler Alter mailings).  I always find myself getting out the wonderful dyed wools and chose deep maroon, orange and green to twirl with grape thread.  I spun it around the copper wire piece and taped each end down on the backside of the original piece; then glued another piece of salmon paper (with title) over the backside to finish it off.  Placed the birdie earrings onto the copper piece and glued the bottom of the pine cone to the paper.  I love the natural effect the pine cove gives next to the birdies. Food supply or nest floor!

Happy Thanksgiving to all, see you in Jan. 2014,
Kimberly
lazy k