Hello there good people I wanted to let you know that Sacred Root Kava Lounge and tea Bar are hosting a holiday sale of my works. From the 2nd December until the 31st December their will be 10% of my Sacred Elements series and a very generous 20% of my Circles of my mind series and Devotional art. Don't forget to stop by for art , cheer and Bula! And just in case you have not already discovered Sacred Root just follow the map below!
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On Samhain eve we journeyed to meet with the mighty dead at the veil between the worlds:
Find yourself a comfortable position, you may wish to sit or lie down. For a few moments we are going to sit and notice our breath. That life giving action that we barely pay mind to as we go about our daily lives. Bring your attention to the very tip of your nose, breath by breath notice the vital air around you, cooling the tip of your nose as it travels in through your nostrils, feel the moisture settle here, as the cool air floats up through your nasal passages and down your throat, feel too how your chest expands as life sustaining oxygen fills every tiny alveoli. Simply and quietly notice, breath by breath the air moving in to your nostrils past the tip of your nose. You may find moments when your focus, your attention drifts away from your breath, if this happens simply acknowledge the thoughts or distractions that appear and let you focus gently return to your breath. Breath in gently one more time and let you attention move freely away from your breath. Imagine now if you will a ripened field of wheat, golden and replete in the glow of the morning sun. Picture yourself seated in the centre of field, comfortably positioned in a small circle of wheat that has been rolled flat, the stalks of the wheat feel crisp beneath your body and the rising sun brings warmth to your face, feel how the cool breeze rushes through your hair and see how the wheat stalks dances to its playful music. This circle of wheat is a warm place of sanctuary a place of repose. Let the warm morning sun refresh you, energize you, as you sit here ,basking in the glow of gentle warmth. After a few moments you feel the desire to look more closely at your surroundings , as you do so, you notice a slight change in the pattern of the wheat field. Your eyes are drawn to a pathway cutting through the field of golden grain , a wide winding trail leading off into the West. Curious you move onto your feet and begin to walk towards the path. Down the pathway you travel, the wheat stalks crunch beneath your feet and you cannot resist the urge to run your hands over the ripened seed heads of the wheat as you walk with buoyant airy steps. You hear the faint yapping of a dog in the distance, you continue to walk further and further down the pathway, and you begin to realize that the skies illumination is becoming more and more muted the further you travel, and you see that the sun ahead of you is transforming into the vibrant colours of sunset. Suddenly a hare darts in front of your feet and stops you in your tracks, you smile as it stares wide eyed at you for the briefest of moments before bolting back into the cloaking stalks of the grain field around you. You begin to hear the bubbling of water emanating from in the distance ahead of you, and though the darkening cloak of dusk has carpeted the horizon , a generous moon lifts its radiant gaze up into the twilight sky to guide your way. You meander further down the pathway and quickly you find yourself approaching the banks of an ancient water course, nonchalantly it travels slowly in front of you, on it’s way in search of the ocean. Hung on its banks between two imposing and ancient yew trees is a large opaque gossamer curtain, These two cathedral trees, appear to grip the curtain so securely that it hangs completely still and unwavering, paying no mind to the breeze rising from the surface of the water, that swirls and teases at its edges. Across the surface of water to the left of the curtain, ripples circle out from where a salmon plunged back into the water after a daring leap, and an otter makes haste in pursuit. In the stillness of the night air you detect the faint whisper of voices, many voices echoing as if they are rising up from a mountain canyon many miles into the far distance. You focus your attention directly upon the voices and you slowly begin to realise that they originate from behind the the gossamer veil. You look intently at the opaque curtain before you, and as you do, the curtain, the veil begins to thin, slowly becoming translucent and responsive to the rushing eddies of air surrounding it. For now you realize begins the Holy day of Samhain, a day out of time when the worlds of the living and mighty dead find no separation. Through the translucent veil you see the joyful faces of the beloved dead, throngs of loved ones, ancestors, gathered together for they too are aware that the veil between the worlds has thinned , become permeable. You raise your voice and joyfully call to the loved one that you wish to commune with, you wish to see, and they step forward, full of happiness and joy to see you. This is your time, take this time to listen, feel, sense and learn. Share your stories, for it is from the wisdom and understanding of those who have walked this sacred realm before us that we can come to understand more of how to live authentic, compassionate fulfilling lives. You sense that this precious time with your beloved ancestors is growing to a close, the wheel of time turns once more, you offer your loved ones a fond farewell, and you remind them that they are forever alive in your heart, for what is remembered lives. The beloved dead step back through the veil between the worlds and as they do so, the curtain begins to shimmer and as the moments pass the transparent veil becomes once more a rich opaque black curtain. The moon is high in the sky now, and it casts long shadows over the still waters of the river. You turn to face the East and walk back down the pathway amongst the stalks of wheat, illuminated by the moon in full splendor. Further and further you travel into the East and as you do so a bright iridescent sky unfolds before you, the morning sun is rising once again, a faint sound catches your attention and you hear the call of a hawk above you, you look up and notice the elegant bird swooping towards a fleeing crow. With an invigorated spring in your step you walk towards the circle of flattened wheat just as the sun is ascending high into the morning sky the air smells of the warm dew, that rises ,like misty vapour's from the ears of the ripened wheat. You position yourself back down in the centre of the flattened wheat circle, just as a little black hen sounds her approach. She steps into the circle of flattened wheat and full of purpose pecks hungrily at the ground. You close your eyes, and let go of the image of the wheat field, you let it floats away like the cooling embers of a fire. In it’s place, you see in your mind’s eye, the central room in Sacred root, with its clean red brick floors and dark paneled walls. You smell the cool air in this underground quarter.Now once once more bring your attention at the tip of your nose, where the cool moist air flows into your nasal passages. Breath gently with your awareness focused here for a few moment more, And now open your eyes. I am pleased to announce my new show Sacred Elements of life opening at Sacred Root Kava Bar and Tea lounge in ITHACA NY, Friday the 4th of November. The sacred Elements of life The sacred elements of Air, Fire,Water, Earth and Spirit are all creative manifestations of the Divine. All play a vital role in the existence of life on Earth, human and non-human, we as conscious beings can perceive the physical manifestations of these sacred elements. The touch of the breeze as we breath in the life giving air and receive the gift of oxygen, which is carried in the branching red rivers that flow throughout our bodies to feed every cell , in this can we feel the divine. When we place our hands in the living soil, we touch the earth, and in this we feel the divine. When we raise our hands skyward to feel the kiss of the vibrant star we call the sun, we touch fire and in this we feel the divine. When we dance in the afternoon rain, letting the waters of a thousand clouds touch our skin, in this we feel the divine. And at last we see how each sacred element touches the essence within, the centre which is god herself. Inspiriting the creative mind, nourishing the hearth cauldron, igniting the fires of inspiration, stirring the ebbing tides of love and feeling. A web of connection where the sacred elements exist as the energetic threads of stardust which give the conscious spirit a vessel in which to experience itself. Each sacred element takes form within symbiotic relationship to each other. For what is a river without an earthen vessel to contain its flow? Would it not be aimless, diffuse and volatile. And if the rains did not fall onto the sweet earth would it not be lifeless, dry and unable to resist the scattering effects of the winds? Which in itself would lack the power to flow, raise the clouds and rush into action without the heat of a radiant star. What then would be the sun without sky to heat and water to cool? A vast lonely vault of energy, scorching an earth bereft of life. Each sacred element seeks to exist in balance within itself and with the other elements of life that are the weave upon the web. And for balance all vital parts must exist. There is in the darkness always light, in the light there is always shadow. The interplay of positive and negative attributes creates a constantly changing and transforming dynamic. This is the inspiration for life. Through the understanding and integration of these opposing attributes can we universal spirit made manifest come to know ourselves in all of our parts. For we are the manifestation of these sacred elements, we seek balance, we seek change and transformation. We seek to know the divine, and in seeking the divine we discover the essence at the centre of the web of all, ourselves. Bring your attention to your forehead, to the point above the bridge of your nose .Sometimes called the third eye, the witches eye. I want you to imagine/visualize a circle a circle of light forming here. With every gentle breath that you take in allow this orb of light to grow, energized by Mana, the spiritual energy which infuses though the universe, energy that flows from the air through your breath and into your body. Visualize this bright sparkling energy feeding this circle of light ,let it grow in your minds eye, becoming larger and brighter and more vivid with every breath. This orb of light which holds your awareness , your attention, make it as real as possible in your minds eye, you witches eye. And now….., Visualize this glowing orb of light moving with every breath that you take back through your head through the centre of mind, all the way to the back of your skull. Breath by breath see this orb of light to begin to float down ,let it descend down the back of your neck to the top of your spine, then travel slowly down your spine past your shoulders, floating down breath by breath, gliding gently down your spine, descending further and further, until you reach the base of your spine…... Breath gently as you do see and feel this ball of light growing larger and larger. Allow the orb of light to expand with every breath you take until it fills the base of your spine, your seat, moves down your legs , your feet and gently like the roots of a tree expands down through the floor of the building down into the soft fertile earth. You now hold your awareness in your root chakra . The root of your being. Open your awareness to the energy of this chakra, see as you do the colour of your ball of light begin to change to infuse with the vibrational colour of this chakra, , see a droplet of liquid colour trickling into your orb of light like a drop of red ink falling into water. Let this rich red hue envelope,expand to fill your root chakra Breath deep, feel the energy of your root chakra The energy of this chakra allows you to harness courage and resourcefulness, commitment, action, passion and persistence. With your mind’s eye your awareness at the centre of this expanded circle of red root energy speak these words, feel these words energizing your root chakra…. I am connected to the vital Earth. The blessings of the life force flow through me My creative body is open to receive the inspiration of words. May it be so. Now with each breath you take begin to breath in this orb of red energy, Begin to breath this ball of light upwards up from the Earth , up from your root. Up and up until it gently settles into your pelvis. Once again…... Allow the orb of light to expand with every breath you take until it fills your sex, fills your pelvis , fills your womb. Now begin to open your awareness , to the energy of the Sacral chakra, as you do see how the colour begins to change a bright orange hue begins to filter into your awareness, a droplet of orange vibrational energy trickling into your circle of light . See this orb of light now replete with a splendid bright orange hue. Breath deep Feel the energy of the sacral chakra which offers you the gift of experiencing life through feeling, the sensual world, this is the centre of creative manifestation With your mind eye, with your awareness at the centre of this expanded ball of sacral orange energy speak these words ,feel these words energizing your sacral chakra….. I am connected to the sensual world The blessings of emotive understanding flow through me My creative womb/ hearth is open to receive the inspiration of words. May it be so. Once again begin to breath gently. Visualize your circle of light with every breath that you take begin to once again ascend , to rise up through you body, up and up until it reaches your belly, your centre, your Dan Tian , Solar Plexus , Sacral chakra. Breath by breath expand this ball of energy until it fills your belly , fills your belly button until it expands through to your back, large and bright. Imagine now a droplet of yellow hue trickling into your ball of energy , filling the circle light bright and vibrant like the sun, a yellow jeweled city. See your ball of energy replete with deep yellow glow. Breath deep and feel the energy of your solar plexus the centre of personal power, confidence, self-discipline, the intellect , energy which allows you to transform inertia into action. With your minds eye, with your awareness at the centre of this expanded ball of vibrant yellow energy ,speak these words feel these words energizing your solar plexus.…. I am connected to the judicious source The blessings of inspired intellect flow through me My creative mind is open to receive the inspiration of words May it be so Breath in gently once more see as you do the orb of light at your solar plexus begin to rise once again , ascending upwards breath by breath. higher and higher until it reaches your heart. The well spring of love, warmth, compassion and joy. Breath by breath allow the energy of the air, the manna to feed your awareness, feed this this vibrant ball of light , see it grow until it fills your heart to the brim. See a droplet of green hue ,deep , lush ,shining ,green liquid colour tricking into your heart chakra, this glorious energetic ball of light. Let the rich green flow fill your circle of energy, fill your heart chakra. Breath deep and feel the energy of your heart chakra. Energy that allows us to recognize that we are part of the web of all life, interconnected, and this is how we can feel the sacred. With your minds eye, your awareness at the centre of this expanded circle of vibrant green energy speak these words feel these words energizing your heart chakra I am connected to the compassionate wellspring of love The blessings of joyous connection flow through me My creative heart is open to the inspiration of words May it be so. Gently breathing allow the orb of light within you, holding your awareness to rise once more up through your body. Higher and higher until it reaches your throat, the place within you that holds the gift of originality, your authentic voice . Breath by breath feed the orb of light at your speaking centre , see it grow and grow until it fills your voice , your neck and your mouth. Watch as a droplet of shimmering clear blue hue trickles in to the light, filling your throat chakra with a rich abundant blue that is as bright and magnificent as the eternal sky. Breath deep and feel the energy of your throat chakra. Energy that allows you to seek true knowledge, beyond time and space , beyond cultural experience and prejudice. With your minds eye, your awareness at the centre of this expanded ball of vibrant blue energy speak these words, feel these words energizing your throat chakra…… I am connected to limitless knowledge The blessings of original expression flow through me My creative voice is open to the inspiration of words. May it be so Once more breathing gently in , draw the orb of light at your throat chakra upwards, breath by breath, gently rising up through your head until it reaches the middle of your brow, The middle of your forehead. A place sometimes called the third eye. The third eye where we receive the gift of heightened perception, where you can see both the inner and outer worlds. Breath by breath let Mana flow into your circle of light, into your third eye, see it grow and grow until it fills your forehead, your mind, your head. Now visualize a droplet of indigo hue trickling into the light , filling the light, dark and rich ,strong and clear . Breath deep and feel the energy of the third eye chakra. The energy of which aids you in experiencing clear thought , self reflection and spiritual contemplation. With your minds eye, your awareness at the centre of this expanded ball of vibrant indigo energy speak these words feel these words energizing your third eye chakra. I am connected to the sage within The blessings of spiritual wisdom flow through me My creative spirit is open to the inspiration of words May it be so One final time gently breath and see your circle of light to rise up though your head, breath by breath gently rising until it reaches your crown, the top of your head the place that connects with divine source your god self, with god herself. Breath by breath let energy flow into your crown chakra , visualize it growing, energized by your breath , by the Mana in the air, see it grow larger, feel it expand until it fills your crown, and reaches up high above you touching your god /dess self. Visualize once more a droplet of colour trickling into the orb of light at your crown, the colour violet, as beautiful as a fragrant flower, a deep purple hue with a velvet heart. Breath deep and feel the energy of the crown chakra. Energy that allows us to experience divine connection, energy that allows us to understand that our own divine nature is connected to all that is. With your minds eye, your awareness at the centre of this expanded circle of vibrant violet energy speak these words, feel these words energizing your crown chakra. I am connected to God herself The blessings of divine love and understanding flow through me. My creative divine nature is open to the inspiration of words. May it be so Now one last time breath deep and as you do see all the energizing Mana in the air, that vibrant sparkling universal life force, moving through your breath energizing your body. Now gently tilt your neck back and blow the air from your lungs infused with Mana skywards and see, imagine it raining down, showering your physical body with the blessings of universal love. Open your eyes Stretch I am very excited to announce that I am returning to the world famous Moosewood restaurant in downtown Ithaca NY with a new exhibition of works entitled "The circles of my mind"
Below is a preview of some of the work that I am very excited to be sharing with the good people of Ithaca. My exhibition will run from the 1st October through to the 31st October 2016. Please do come along and enjoy the ambience, and a feast for the eyes and soul of bold expressive canvases accompanied by exceptional vegetarian food from a local institution . See you there. World Goddess day September 4th 2016 was such an incredible day, I wanted to share a journey that I was honoured to facilitate at Sacred Root Kava bar and tea lounge in Ithaca NY. Journey to the Garden of the Goddess. Let us to gravitate into the inner realms of our divine hearts and enter into the garden of the Goddess, the divine wellspring within, to dance to the cadence of She who is of Infinite Skies, to the God Herself. Find for yourself a comfortable,warm position seated or lying down, closing your eyes, take deep cleansing breath in and release . Now take in another gentle cleansing breath in and again release. Bring your attention to your forehead, to the point above the bridge of your nose . Sometimes called the third eye, sometimes called the witches eye. Then begin to imagine, begin to visualize a glowing circle of light forming .growing, pulsating here at your third eye, your witches eye. With every gentle breath that you take into your body allow this circle of light to grow, energized by mana, the energy that threads though all that is, that flows throughout the multiverse, energy that spins and weaves through the air and courses through your breath like a warm radiant current, energy, life force that feeds your physical and spiritual body. Allow this energy to infuse into your circle of light and let it grow in your minds eye, in your third eye, becoming larger and brighter and more vivid with every breath that you take in. This orb of light which holds your awareness , your attention, make it as real as possible in your minds eye, your witches eye. And then begin to imagine this circle of light descending downwards through the centre of mind. With every breath you take into your body, see, feel this orb of light to floating down,descending down, down your neck to the top of your spine, traveling slowly down past your shoulders, floating down breath by breath, coming to rest for a moment in your heart . Breath deep and observe for a moment how it feels to have your awareness here in your heart, the well spring of love and compassion.. Breathing gently once more see this circle of light float further downwards, descending until it reaches your centre , your lower Dan Tian, the point just two inches below your navel, the place of vital creative energy. Breath deep and observe how it feels to have your awareness at your centre, at your creative hearth. And now with this orb of light at your centre. begin to imagine, to visualize a haven, a place of sanctuary that exists within you, within this circle of light which now resides at your centre. A place outside of the mundane realm , that is your own personnel temple, a safe, sacred and beautiful realm. Out of the circle of light within this sanctuary you begin to see appearing in front of you a path, a winding path. A path of earth surrounded on either side by tall magnificent trees, which sway in the steady breeze. You look and see how it winds away into the distance . . Breath deep and step onto the path. Steadily you now begin to walk, down this dirt road surrounded by the tall beautiful trees, you can smell their fragrance scent, hear the sounds of the branches as they creak and sway in the breeze, feel the soft squelch of the earth beneath your feet, hear the glorious singing of the birds revelling in the comfort of their arms. On the road ahead just visible on the horizon ,appears the outline of a doorway. Around the doorway are swirling eddies of cloud. As you draw closer to this doorway you can see that is painted with bright translucent colours; red ,white and black,the colours of the Goddess. You draw closer still, and as you do, you see that the colours morph and change form as you observe them, they become intelligible, and you notice that they are the names of the Goddess of God herself. You become acutely aware of one of the names in the doorway, one name in particular, that calls to you , you move closer to the doorway and as you do your recognize the name, it is your very own name. You speak your name three times, and as you do the door way opens. Breath deep and step through the doorway. At first it is difficult to see your surroundings, the air is thick, warm and hazy. The light is bright, a silvery hue clings to every concentrated shaft of light. You immediately feel relaxed, safe, at home. As your eyes search slowly around you, they ajust to the light and you begin to view all that lies before you. You find yourself in the most beautiful garden you have ever beheld. Lush and vibrant, overflowing with life, abundant and filled with a kaleidoscope of colour, an enchanted landscape, you have entered the garden of the Goddess. Breath deep listen, look around you. What do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel and sense? Here in the Garden of the Goddess you are comforted, accepted, take time to linger, here in her resplendent beauty, in your own resplendent beauty. You feel yourself called to the far corner of the garden, where you notice a magnificent shrine dedicated to the Goddess, you walk towards it and as you do you hear the soft tinkling flow of water. As you approach the shrine you notice a pool of deep still water at at its base. The sparkling waters surface is shrouded in mists, you slip your hands into the mists and as you do they begin to swirl and eddy, slowly the mists part. You look into the deep reflective waters of the pool. Breath deep. What do you see in her depths, in your own, deep well.? What voice do you hear? What do you feel? What do you sense? Take this time to listen to her ,to God herself, listen to her heart. The mundane realm begins to call to you, your physical body begins to call to you. You look up and notice that at the side of the pool a gift has been left for you.. You pick up this gift, you receive it and with deep gratitude you thank the Goddess, the divine mother.. What is the gift she has blessed you with? Embrace this gift, it is your inheritance, your birth right, your heritage. With great joy, gratitude ,and the fondest of farewells, you begin to walk back towards the gateway though which you entered the garden . You turn to cloak yourself in the feast of sights and sounds once more. Is there a devotional offering you would like to make to her in this moment? You breath deep, turn and step though the gateway by which you entered the great garden and as you do so it closes behind you . . Once again you find yourself on the earthen pathway and you begin to walk buoyant and relaxed back towards your sanctuary, your own personnel temple. . You stride between the tall trees feeling refreshed and some how lighter than before you set out on your journey, aware that you are carrying your gift from the Goddess with you. You near the end of the path and begin to see the glowing orb of light before you. Breath deep and allow yourself to step back into this circle of light. Allow the image of your circle of light to become clearer and clearer , as real as possible, gently breathing in energy , life force. Now with one more deep breath in and out, release this circle of light , release your awareness , let it go and allow it to to go to where ever you want your awareness to be centred at this moment. Where ever you wish your minds eye to reside in your body in this moment. Open your eyes, stretch, say your name three times. Journal all that you have experienced. Drink and feast in her honour. Blessed be Welcome to my website. I am thrilled to begin this journey with you, sharing my artwork and musings. My latest project is entitled the Sacred Elements of life. Each sacred element Air , Earth , Fire ,Water and Spirit is the foundation of our Earth Walk. I have begun a series of work which embodies each sacred element and then explores aspects of there nature, which embodies our our true inner natures. Each signature and aspect painting aids us as we work towards "knowing ourselves in all of our parts.", they are a meditation on and within there respective element. Each painting has a story to tell , each element that moves within you is waiting to illuminate your shining path, so come with me on a journey, a journey into the realm of water... Gaze into the element of Water, the deep well of memory, the heart of expressive emotion. the spring of empathic union. Dive deep into the deep blue ocean of understanding. Close your eyes allow the paintings image to be clearly bound within your minds eye. Take a deep cleansing breath, as you do imagine how the “mana” in the air, that energetic force that imbues all that is, sparkling all around you , entering your lungs and energizing your body. As you breath gently, imagine yourself in your inner sanctuary , a realm that is perfectly yours, a safe haven , a place where you can enter with your minds eye and from which you can move between the worlds. Your sanctuary may be a forest glade, a ripened corn field, a liminal place : the shore where the oceans waves lap at your feet. Now in this place of sanctuary visualize before you a doorway, a portal to mystery . It could be made of many materials, wood or metal , it could be a cave entrance with a boulder across it. Imagine now that you see this portal and that upon it you can emblazon the name, sigil or colour of the element that you wish to enter into and explore. See this image as clearly as you see your self when looking into a mirror. See this portal to mystery to open and step inside . Breath deep you are now between the worlds, in the realm of the elementals what do you see, hear , smell , feel and sense? Allow you feet to caress the ground as you walk within this realm, listen to the heart beat of the elemental source. Are there words that whisper to you? Are there images that wish to be recognized? Listen with your heart as well as your mind, explore this realm take as much time as you need to gain this elementals wisdom and insight. Know that you can always return to this place at anytime to understand more. When you have experienced all that you require on this journey, Give thanks and gratitude to the sacred elemental of life with whom you have communed . Breath deep , turn and imagine you once again see the portal or doorway which lead you to the realm of mystery, Walk through the veil closing the doorway behind you, finding yourself once again in you sanctuary. Breath deep and gently visualize yourself back in the mundane realm ,back in the room where you began your journey, then open your eyes. Give thanks to the wise elementals of water Breath gently and allow your thoughts to return to the world of the mundane. Breath once more , open your eyes and journal all that you have experienced. |
Gaia Woolf-Nightingall
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