Dark of the Moon

September, 1997
Oils on Cardboard
19”x 26”
Framed 27.5”x 34”

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This is the Magician I in Lane's Greenwitch Tarot:

Traditionally, the Magician of the Tarot has the magical tools of each element at hand. Here she uses Earth, Air, Fire and Water Magics to reach into the darkest places of her psyche in order to understand, heal and move forward. Indeed, as she moves into each phase of her journey she also has the tools to manifest what she needs along the inevitably winding path. Her mermaid tail empowers her to swim and breathe in the depths of her body’s waters and other hidden crevices inside. She is not afraid to put her hand into her own or others’ heart flame in order to learn the mysteries and to alchemically forge the elements into new patterns and forms. The Mountain is at her back – volcanic and eerie. About to erupt in anger like a pus-filled abscess? The ground at her feet is full of mysterious glyphs that have secrets to tell if she can ever learn to read them. Birds of Air Magic bring messages from other realms that help guide her journey and her manifestations. Here Owl and Raven call out clues as they encourage her – literally give her courage – to move ever closer to the important nub of things. She also has the powerful Air Magic manifesting tool of her voice to forge new paths and visions.

How do you use the Magic of the elements that are always at your beck and call? What are your personal Magical tools of power? It’s good to keep a collection handy, both tangible and metaphorical. Do you speak, sing, write or act out your truths? What are you manifesting today? What do you want to manifest going forward? Be sure that your actions match your visions in order to bring forth what you really want. Both for yourself and for the collective. A new world is a-bornin’ and we need your unique skills and energies to be an integral part of it. Pick up that wand!

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Written for Out of the Ashes Show, North County Recreation Center, January 2004

An Act of Power.

This painting sat on the shelf over my desk for several years, inspiring me to continue the journey of exploring the mystery. I love it that she is floating in the air, yet is such a creature of the sea amidst the earthy place, and has fire before her and volcano behind her. Fiery Mountain. A creature of all the elements. An amphibian, I guess.

I always thought she was reaching into the fire of her fears and those of others to illuminate them – to speak out loud – to sing about them with the help of her dark bird friends, Raven and Owl. But as I was setting up for the “Out of the Ashes” Show in 2004, I put a wand in her hand. And much to my surprise it turned out to be what she was reaching for all along. Now the painting without it looks naked to me.

The alchemical fire yields the wands of our power in whatever form we call them to be: paint brushes, rakes, computers, scissors, hammers or spoons. This particular wand is a beaver stick found years ago during the Fire Mountain School days. It reminds me of Gwendolyn Endicott’s Wanderland Beaver Mantra for use when the going gets tough: “Gnaw by gnaw, and don’t get discouraged by the big picture!” The stick was completed as a wand in a workshop with a psychic who told me among other things I should be doing a show of my work. The leather ribbon has a little bear on it in honor of She who became a power animal guide for me during these last several months of this process.

Note January 2024:

For years now she has lived over my bed ever since I moved to Nehalem and in fact was a major influence in getting me to do the Tarot deck. She nagged me, assuring me that she knew I could do it. And she was clear from the start that she was to be the Magician.