Harvest Queen and Princess Silver Hands

Last weekend felt like a Retreat, as two of my friends who are in this year's Color of Woman teacher training offered their required 13 step class - virtually! Carol Fairbanks has been a frequent student in my workshops and circles since 2016. I first met Christy Cozby in Sepha's certification class around the same time. 

Carol chose as her theme Harvest Queen, drawng from the HQ class I taught last fall. She scheduled her class over two sessions, so we'll meet again tomorrow. 

Heidi, Leah and Carol, fall 2019

Inquiries:

• What wisdom can I harvest from this year?
• What mature fruits are ready for harvest?
• What is ready to be Clipped?
• How can I make space for the next cycle?

I pulled the card Old man of Stories - Legba - is the story one of healing? What will being balance and harmony? (Rainbow Earth Tarot)

Underpainting - 3 words and 3 colours - centered, (Quinacridone violet and Dioxazine purple) renewal (Green Gold and Yellow Oxide) and gratitude (primary magenta)

Symbols: Apple, (fruitful harvest) spirals of life, wreath - crown, balance and wholeness

This week I revisited her face and expression, bringing in a looked Fae presence - and need to do loved listening/ journaling! We will gather again this Saturday, and delve deeper! 

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Christy's class on Sunday was based on the tale of Princess Silver Hands, or the Handless Maiden - which she told beautifully! (Several of us weren't familiar with this tale)

• what gifts do your hands bestow?
• They are the "tools of tools," enabling you to feel and do.
• What do they hold, feel, grasp, fashion, give and receive? 
• What phases go with hands/restrictions? Sitting on my hands, hands are tied, waiting for a band out ... 
• How do we internalize the patriarchy, make a margin without all the information?

Our creativity grandmother, Lenore Thomas Strauss asked, "what ancient knowing lives within these hands?"

All the great stories are variations on the same story of challenge, journey into the underworld (forest) benefactors (a pear tree that offers its fruit, King, kind mother in law) initiating and renewal.

Sketch on the background

I appreciated the places in the story where in spite of challenges, she is cared for, loved and nurtured. 

 

There's a pear tree in the background, and a cord nesting in her hair (I used reverse stencils on both paintings, the technique we learned in treesisters. One of the themes in the story is a renewal of wedding views with the King after a seperation and misunderstanding, and a big celebration of nine days and nine nights. Our Color of Woman SiStar Anna Corsini, from Florence, Italy, committed to continuing working with her lady overr this time! 

Fun to see the shadows of the birch tree on my lady ... She's continuing to inform me as well. I look forward to what each of these paintings and process have to bring.

Happy Paint Party Friday!