Offerings

Cypriot  Mother Goddess statuette.

     At the end of 2018 a friend in London posted a picture, similar to this one, of a bird-faced goddess figurine that she saw in an exhibit at a British museum. I was intrigued and my curiosity piqued. I was inspired to try my hand at needle-felting the statue which I eventually completed last year. And then sadly I placed her on a shelf and got on with other projects, not giving her much thought honestly again until just a couple of weeks ago. In my morning spiritual work I randomly choose a reading from a book. That day I picked up one of my favorite books called The Song of Eve by Manuela Dunn Mascetti. This beautifully illustrated book is a study in Feminine archetypes and how we as women embody these powerful personalities still today even though the patriarchy has tried its best to repress them. In my way I will hold a book in my hands and ask for guidance and direction and then randomly open the book. I was startled when I opened the book to a picture of the same bird goddess!  It felt like I was getting a ‘wake up’ poke. So I picked up the little doll and wondered why I was so drawn to this particular ancient image. Why had I not thought to deepen my understanding of Her then? Perhaps it hadn’t been the right time before, but now I realized that She, my doll, was not complete. I sat down with her and She led me on a journey.
 

Needle-felted Bird Goddess

        The original terra-cotta or coroplastic art statue is attributed to the late Cypriot culture ca 1450-1200 B.C. The history of the island of Cyprus is infused with Greek, Syrian and Turkish influences. Particular characteristics of this statue points towards Syrian origin. These small statues depict a naked woman with a bird or owl like face. Breasts and pubic area are prominent, they have exaggerated hips, long legs that are close together fusing at the feet, beak like noses with large flat eyes and large earrings. Their arms are crossed and sometimes they are holding a child. These figures are sometimes referred to as Kourotrophos, depictions of women or goddesses, if they are indeed holding children, which would suggest a mother image. Those found were frequently discovered in tombs but not exclusively. The ongoing debate is whether they are depictions of a deity, a fertility or childbirth charm or a death companion. It’s just not known for sure. Irregardless of what their original intent artists at that time were making them in large numbers so this feminine image meant  something very special. Bird goddesses transformed, nurtured, and protected life through all of its stages.

Greek coin.

     The Greek goddess of wisdom was the Virgin Athena who was usually depicted with an owl which symbolized knowledge and ‘seeing in the dark’, which I believe suggests woman’s intuition or knowing. The eyes of this owl on this Greek coin are very similar to the eyes of the figures.

     My art expression of choice is collage and in particular my own form of soul art, a meditative process f you will. It is the same process that I use when I explore the Sufi pathways of life that I have shared in many other posts. I immerse, meditate, journal, search for images that ‘speak’ to be used and then create a collage. At its completion I go back and study the composition for symbolism and meaning. I’m always taken by what comes through. The synchronicity was not lost on me so I knew it was time to dive deeper.

Woobie helping in the collage process.

   
     This prehistoric image of a bird or owl-faced Mother Goddess speaks to me of regeneration, of the spiraling cycles of life; birth, death and rebirth. The Earth as Mother, the vessel from which all life emerges. She is our true place of origin and we are connected to Her by an invisible umbilical cord, our life force and the light within our cells. So it is no wonder that the image of an ancient womb-like cave with animal paintings called to be used.  Caves have always been realms of mystery, initiation, and sacredness. This cave picture has a narrow “birthing” path and prehistoric people traveled far into the depths of this cave using small bowls of burning moss for light in order to paint these animal images on the walls. These were considered places of great power where perhaps they asked Mother Earth for blessings, left offerings to Her for a successful hunt as well as a place to honor the spirits of the animals taken.  Red ochre was used in many caves to represent blood and suggests the giving of life by Mother Earth through birthing or a place of death in the taking of animals for food.

Offerings collage.

     Images for this collage came quickly together; the spiral, the carved Bodhisattva, the white shell, pomegranates, the dancing nude figure, the Hamsa-ish hand, a boat to fill with flowers and the herb bundles-Sage, Rosemary and Thyme. I came across the circle tissue paper, that my cousin sent in a art supply box, and knew it was going to be the background as circles represent wholeness, cyclic movement, and the divine mystical journey. The Hamsa-like image is the right hand, palm up as a sign of protection and blessings and it too has circular decorations. I purposely have the channel from the cave connected to the carved Bodhisattvas head and to the left she is connected to the spiral, the creative and organizing principle of the universe which is intuitive of spiritual development and represents our identity with the universe. A Bodhisattva is one who has reached a high level of enlightenment. The natural spiral found in the shell mirrors the dynamic movement of growth and from this emerges the dancing nude young woman. Shells offer healing and the realization that movement disperses negativity and allows for change and infinite possibilities. Life. The word embodies movement and it certainly should embody joy. “Dance as if no one is watching” takes on a deeper meaning. Being present and engaged in this life regardless of the expectations and judgments of others.

     Pomegranate, fruit of prosperity, power and fertility, eternity. Sage, sacred herb that purifies and heals, herb of wisdom.  Thyme, herb of courage, braving and strength. Rosemary is the herb of remembrance, loyalty and honoring. All of these are my offerings. Along with a boat of flowers an ancient act to honor the deities of the water but also a ritual that one does for oneself.  When you set your boat of flowers afloat you send with it a wish. I have a wish (not telling).

     I can’t help but feel that here, within the act of ritually expressing love for this life, lies the key to this journey that I am on, that we are all on. Life is a journey of many layers but the most important one is into ourselves. It’s about remembering where we come from. Having the courage and the strength to keep searching for it. When we honor our inner most dreams and follow our hearts we are honoring our connection with life and acknowledging that it is sacred. We are each a reflection of the divine oneness in life. Every thought, action and word effects the whole. From darkness comes light, not knowing to knowing, lumen naturae,  the light hidden within. Honor your pain, take responsibility for your life, value the journey, gain wisdom from your mistakes, celebrate your uniqueness and discover and use your gifts for the betterment of the whole. We all belong.

     I see now in my collage that it is not just about the Mother archetype that I felt it was in the beginning. Mother is a part of the whole but I see now that it encompasses all of the stages; Maiden, Mother and Wise Woman. “In woman is the form of all beings.” “Woman is a prayer.” “Woman is the holiest place.”  When the feminine was attacked and shackled by the patriarchy (the out of control masculine drive for consumption, greed and power) all of life suffered because anything seen as feminine was no longer looked upon as SACRED. Daily the news still reflects crimes against women and the rape of our beloved Earth. Nothing will change until this imbalance is corrected.
   

Boat of flowers offering.

     Regardless if you are female or male we all share in the cycles of life by way of group consciousness. We all experience bleeding, pregnancy (inspiration), birth (creating) and menopause (wisdom), we all experience youth, adulthood and old age. Every part of our experience is a reflection of the divine in some aspect whether it is of the light or of darkness, whether it is beautiful or ugly, all serves. Without hatred would we appreciate love as much? Without experiencing anger and turmoil would we appreciate peace fully?  Every expression, every breath, in the flap of a birds wing or to someone throwing garbage on the street all is part of the belonging. And ultimately we each have the choice of our expression. But with those choices comes responsibility and repercussions.

     I hold my Bird Goddess in my hands, the wool is soft to the touch and light sparkles off the beads at her throat. Her body is a vessel and I know now what is missing. She needs to hold something. So I gather all of my intentions and dreams, my memories, the seed ideas of what I wish to plant and grow, my gratitude and thankfulness and I channel them down into a green heart stone that my Mother used to carry with her everywhere she went. Bird goddess I know will hold my heart lovingly within her arms because it too is sacred.