Tuesday, January 18, 2022
Imagining Beauty ~ Traveling the Path of the Heart by Patricia Ballentine
Monday, May 17, 2021
Gather and Offer: A Story of the Gathering Basket
I remembered the other day an extraordinary poem gifted to me by Ilana Stein, who I met in one of the workshops I gave at the Kripalu Institute in 2008.
Ilana is a well known Midwife and Birth Coach from New York City. She is a slight woman with intense eyes, and her hair was gone sparse because she's been undergoing chemotherapy, which she shared as we began our introductory Circle.
We begin our four day process with a "shamanic journey" to the Underworld, to encounter the Goddess, in whatever form She may care to appear. I feel this is important as each participant prepares to create her mask. Often I ask them to see if She gives them a gift of some kind, and almost always something meaningful is presented.
Returning to the "above world", after our trance, Ilana told the group she had met a Goddess all in white. She called Her the "White Goddess". This Being emerged from the darkness to dance before her. Her dance, Ilana said, was like a figure 8, the "eternity symbol" - Her gestures consisted of gathering on one side, and giving forth on the other, a flowing movement of taking in and giving forth.
It happened that another of the women in the workshop was a professional dancer (a ballerina, actually!) who was retiring. She brought with her a dress from her performance years as a possible costume, and in the course of the workshop she gave Ilana this beautiful white dress - which was Ilana's size!
One of the two masks Ilana made was "scarred", to represent the suffering she had been going through in the course of her treatment for cancer. Yet it contained a bright red, and very open, heart. Above is the other mask she made for the White Goddess she encountered. A white mask with a basket on one side, and flowing forms with blooming flowers on the other. A mask for gathering, and for offering. And here is the poem she wrote - I feel privileged to share it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8/12/08 Postscript: I am sad to have to add that Ilana passed away 4 months after this workshop. But when I think of that, I think the Goddess who came to her, and the poem she wrote, were all about leading the Way.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GATHER AND OFFER
Ilana Stein
Gather towards the West
Gather towards the North
Gather towards the South
Gather towards the East
Gather Above, gather below and gather the great Mystery
Gather what you’ve studied
Gather what you’ve learned
Gather how you’ve lived, and gather what you’ve earned.
Gather what you’ve loved and gather what you’ve lost.
Gather what you’ve soiled and gather what it’s cost
Gather what you’ve wasted and gather what you’ve saved
Gather what you’ve shopped for and gather what you’ve tasted
Gather who your friends are and gather how they’ve cared
Gather your relations and gather how you’ve fared
Then Gather birth and celebrate, gather death and cry
Gather hope, regret and longing and gather up the why
Gather up the waiting, gather struggles, gather challenges.
Gather all the goals you’ve met and gather up the bravery
Gather faceless fear and all the broken promises.
Gather yesterday today, and gather time tomorrow
Gather what you’ve ruined and gather when you’ve failed.
Gather up the personal and gather up the frail
Gather up the culture and gather up the myths
Gather all the songs you’ve sung, and all expressive art
Gather dances gather dreams and gather up your heart
Gather in the garden and gather at the beach.
Gather on the mountain and gather what’s in reach
Gather in the workplace, and gather on the roads
Gather in the home you’ve made and gather all you kin
Gather your impatience, your frustration and your greed.
Gather up the words you’ve said and gather what you need.
Gather up your journey and all the time you’ve spent
Gather up your courage and walk inside your tent.
Gather up your secrets and and gather up your wisdom
Gather what you’ve forgotten
Gather what you’ve meant.
Gather faith and Reverence
Gather truth and and gather lies,
Gather secrets great and small
Gather wisdom of the ages and wrap them in your shawl
Gather sickness, Gather health gather tenderness and rage
Gather all your stories and gather on the stage
Gather up your gatherings, and stir the basket’s bounty
Gather all remaining threads and search across the county
Look out among the human beings, look out among relations
Then offer up your gatherings to all nations and creations
Offer to your children and offer to your kin
Offer to the hungry, to the needy and the grim
Offer to the blessed and offer to the prim
Offer to the kings and queens the princess and princesses
Offer to the beggars, paupers, jesters and priestesses
Offer to the little birds the chipmunks and the deer
Offer to the badger, mole, the frogs, and yes the bear
Offer to the green spring shoots, the white and yellow crocus
Offer to the budding trees the bushes and the rushes
Offer to the sand and mud the concrete and the buildings
Offer to the cook and maid the seamstress and the butler
Offer to the farmers - offer to the farm
Offer to the doctors and offer for no harm
Offer to the visionaries offer to the artists
Offer to the frightened, offer to the scared
Offer to the endangered and to the unprepared
Offer to the hurting, offer to be healed,
Offer to your neighbor and offer to the field
Offer grace and offer peace offer possibility
Offer privilege trust and faith
Offer gratitude amazement wonderment and awe
Offer loving kindness, compassion, joy and love
Offer up your story, offer honor and integrity
Offer for community Offer your vulnerability
Offer what you’ve learned and offer what you have
offer what you know
Offer what you’ve shared
Offer both your ears, your shoulders and your tears
Offer all you’ve gathered, offer all your cares
You’ve gathered through the springtime,
the summer and the fall.
And you’ve offered season’s greetings without going to the mall.
Now rest and build your strength up. Cycle with the moon. Cycle through the mystery time. Close your eyes and sleep. Dream the dreams of where you’ve been.
Dream of where you’re going – dream the dream that dreamers dream.
Then gather.
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
Telling the World in a Time of Drought
So what are the new stories arising that can help us to evolve into a wiser, sustainable world? And further, how can they be brought fully alive in comprehensive ways that have vitality and impact?
Monday, April 4, 2016
Remembering Lydia Ruyle
I was very saddened to learn of the passing of Lydia Ruyle, creator of the Goddess Banners that have adorned and sanctified to the Great Mother so many places where people have gathered in Her honor. Lydia was ever generous with her gifts, and shared her work freely with all, as well as being so encouraging to me personally. She will be enormously missed by the Goddess community.
May all the Goddesses of her banners surround her with love and blessings, and may she rest in their arms and be renewed.
March 27, 2016
http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/21334637-113/greeley-resident-world-renowned-artist-lydia-ruyle-dies-at
The lifetime Greeley resident was a wife, mother of three and a grandmother. She leaves behind quite a legacy as evidenced by the family members, longtime friends and admirers who hosted a party in her honor Feb. 20 at Zoe’s Cafe — shortly after she learned of her cancer diagnosis. Ruyle said at the time she didn’t want the party to happen after her death. She wanted to be there to celebrate life with those closest to her.
Ruyle touched countless people during her lifetime. In the 1970s, when she was elected to the Greeley-Evans School District 6 board, Ruyle fought to add art classes to the curriculum and won. It was about that same time she began painting,
In April 2013, Ruyle received the Century of Scholars Lifetime Achievement Award at the graduate school’s 100 Year Commemorative Celebration. She also taught art at UNC. Given her influence in spreading goddess art locally, the college dedicated a room — The Lydia Ruyle Room of Women’s Art — in her honor.
But it is through her depictions of goddess figures on Nylon banners for which Ruyle is best known. During the early days when she began focusing on goddess works, Ruyle would visit holy sites in England. Over the next several decades, more than 200 women would join her on spiritual journeys to Britain, Turkey, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Sicily, Malta, the Czech Republic, Russia, Mexico, Peru, the Himalayas, Hawaii and the southwestern United States.
— Tribune reporter Catherine Sweeney contributed to this story.
Thursday, January 21, 2016
"Numinous".......Personal Icons
Robin Williamson
The first deities of Rome were agricultural.
Before they became an empire or adopted Greek mythologies, the Romans called their deities "numen", which roughly translated meant "spirits of place", the "mind of place". These early deities included Pomona, goddess of the Orchards, and many other local deities concerned with the well being of trees, springs, deer, rivers. and caves.
I've been looking at many of my personal "Icons" lately, and I realize that, like the early Romans, so many of them are about the Numinous in nature, the felt prescence, the the intelligence and conversation experienced in the garden, or at the top of a mountain for that matter as well. My personal Icons return always to the intelligence of nature, the "numinous".
When I was younger I remember conversations I had with beaches and stones and butterflies, the world was full of Talismans to be found and treasured, magical signs and portents. There are still places I can go, where those mysterious voices are heard. The divine is beneath our feet, in the roots, the cracks, the dragon trails of wind and rain moving across the expressive faces of the day.
In the past I was fascinated with the ubiquitous "hand and eye" symbols found among the prehistoric peoples of early America, the mysterious Mound Builders. Also exploring in my art the equally ubiquitous stories of the Great Weaver, the Spider Woman, I began making hands with eyes myself, and called my project "Spider Woman's Hands". The eyes mean to me that immanent presence and intelligence in nature. The eye in the hand also means to me, personally, the divine manifesting and creating in this world, through all natural processes, and through the works of our hands as well.
And the roots are the Web, the sustanence and interdependancy that unites us with all Beings of the Earth. The Body of the World, our Body.
an ocean
perpetually falling
and every drop
is your body
every motion, every feather,
every thought
time is your body
every animal,
your body
Saturday, October 17, 2015
She Blesses Us
“Sometimes I need
only to stand
wherever I am
to be blessed.”
― Mary OliverIn 2011 I was at the White Spring in Glastonbury, where I had a profound experience of the Spirit of Place, the Numina of that ancient and sacred spring and place of Pilgrimage. I took these forbidden photographs of the beautiful shrine that was there, the painting that so perfectly captured the sacred essence of generosity that was there, offering, always offering.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
A Traditional Dancer on Sacred Dance
https://youtu.be/ZrtoUdIbNO4
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Dancing the Goddess: Masks for the 21 Praises to Tara
It is with the purpose of bringing benefit to beings in this world of chaos and confusion that the Mandala Dance of the Twenty-One Praises of Tara is offered.
It is in respect and gratitude to the Lineage holders of the various Tibetan Buddhist traditions who have maintained and embellished the ancient teaching of chanting the Praises of Tara.
It is in unity with the people of Tibet who universally call out to Tara, who chant Her Praises from childhood and who recognize in Her the Universal Mother and Protector.
It is in order to acknowledge the dignity and capability of women to accomplish the highest spiritual attainments that this Mandala Dance of the 21 Praises of Tara is offered.
May All Who See These Praises Danced Or Who Hear These Praises Sung Be Inspired To Attain The Highest Expression Of Humanity To Be Themselves The Embodiment Of Compassion And Wisdom.
Earlier this summer I was asked to consider creating a collection of masks for Tara Dhatu. The magnitude of the project, which will entail going to Bali in the next year and working with Balinese mask artists in Mas, has been a bit daunting, along with trying to understand the specific ideas, images, and context for each Manifestation of Tara within the lineage, as well as personal style, Prema Dasara has developed with her community. So I recently created a new Blog to document (and invite feedback) the course of the Project. Here's the link if anyone is interested:
http://taramasks.blogspot.com/
It is also my privilege to make, in this collaborative way, my own offering to Tara, who I know only in the most personal of ways, and to whom I shall always feel blessed by. Here's my own story.
Video: http://youtu.be/5uRdPepeuws
What a wonderful journey this will be! Some recent notes........................
Stern Tara
Serene Tara
Moon Face
Kali Performance 2010 (Photo courtesy Lena Grace) |
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Navajo Weaving
It also may be the voice of the weaver’s prayers and dreams"
Weaving Worlds, Bennie Klain, USA, 2008 (57 min.)
A Navajo rug may be a commodity for trade. It also may be the voice of the weaver’s prayers and dreams and a way of life more than a thousand years old. Such is the difference between the perspectives of Navajo weavers in northern Arizona and New Mexico and the White traders and buyers with whom they do business.
The film presents a compelling and intimate portrayal of economic and cultural survival through the art of weaving in a global marketplace. The result is a poignant digital portrait of Navajo artisans and their unique, often controversial relationships with White Reservation traders.
Intimate documentary photography shows weavers at home with their families, engaged in the various labors involved in producing a rug, as well as at the auctions where they watch their rugs being sold. Contemporary weavers of several generations recall their introduction to weaving and selling rugs, and archival footage and stills illustrate their recollections.
Bennie Klain is a director of documentaries and short fictions, and the founder of TricksterFilms, based in Austin, Texas. A fluent Navajo speaker, Klain often incorporates the language into his work. Weaving Worlds premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival and was screened on national television by PBS. Weaving Worlds is a co-production of TricksterFilms, LLC and the Independent Television Service (ITVS) in association with Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT), with major funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Credits
Producer: Leighton C. PetersonWriter: Bennie Klain
Cinematographer: Nancy Schiesari
Editor: Jayson Oaks
Sound Design: Paul James Zahnley
Music Score: Aaron White
Cast Members: Edith Simonson, Nicole Horseherder, Lorraine Herder, Helen Bedonie, Gilbert Begay, Zonnie Gilmore, Elijah Blair, Perry Null
Previous Festivals/Awards: South by Southwest Film Festival, Native American Film + Video Festival, American Indian Film Festival, ImagineNative Film Festival