Circle Dance (Six Witches)

This is the Sun XIX Card in Lane's Greenwitch Tarot:

The circle that was promised as an antidote to memories of persecution and enslavement in the Moon XVIII [Out of the Ashes painting] now comes out gloriously in full Sun as a joyous dance of naked witchy ones. We’re back! We’ve come full circle from the matriarchal times of pre-history (i.e.pre-patriarchy’s his-story) to be reborn in this Changing of the Ages time. Men and women both, we are now re-membering, i.e. finding our lost and stolen body and Soul parts. We are healing, cleansing, becoming whole to reclaim our birthright powers both individually and collectively. I painted this in about 30 minutes in1996, a few days after being eviscerated – called out - by my cohort of Hero’s Journey painters when I resisted naming them my coven. See 5 of Air [Fierce Compassion]. Titled  both “Full Circle” and “Six Witches” depending on how safe I was feeling, this painting was a true breakthrough and is my favorite ever. And yes, my painting group was right. They were seeing what I had not yet acknowledged: I was a witch. It was later that I realized I was actually a Greenwitch. (I’ve never liked the term “white witch” for some reason – but yes, that too).

What have you reclaimed and re-membered? Can you dance joyously naked, vulnerable and open in the sunlight? Literally or figuratively? With others or alone? What will it take to get you to that place? Can you dig deep to find what keeps you from that glorious feel of sunshine on your body, out in the open as your true Self, whatever that looks like? You are being given the opportunity to awaken to the joy of our collective dance as we create the New Age of Aquarius. Come on in, the water is fine! Kick up your heels! Claim your birthright! We are waiting for you. If not now, when??

Written for Out of the Ashes Show, North County Recreation District, January 2004.October, 1995
Oils on paper
16” x 24”

It all ends up here really: Dancing in a circle of community – or better yet, tribe.

I’ve shown this painting many times and it is very much a satisfying crowd-pleaser. It was done quickly and easily, coming out of a session when the painting group had been pushing me to take on the power and the mantle of sweet green magic I was toying with. In fact, they wanted me to declare them my coven. I couldn’t speak clearly about it in class but I went home and the image of all of us as dancers flowed out of my fingertips in half an hour.

When I was eleven years old I nursed a fierce longing to dance naked in the moonlight. I even wrote a poem about it. But sadly it was many, many years before I found the courage to do so. In those days the best I could even imagine was doing it solo and secretively. Now my great dream is to have this circle dance be part of the normal course of affairs. This painting is of women, but I now know the dances can include both genders and all ages.

It should be noted that these are the same six figures as the five forks and central figure in “Fierce Compassion” – i.e. those who wield the cleansing swords of truth are often those we dance with most joyously another day.

The original of this painting is not for sale, however a print is available - see below.

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