Fire Keeper

 Lo'oet, Fire keeper is my Alchemist or Soul Fire painting, from my Color of Woman 2015 training.  

I've  always loved the NW tell of Lo'oet, the only one left with fire in her lodge. So after awhile, great spirit asked her to take up residence on the old land bridge over what we call the Columbia River, the Bridge of the Gods ...

Lo'oet - Firekeeper

I encountered her in a visioning to 'meet your inner healer,' retold her story in a creative writing class, and wrote a song about her, Firekeeper's Lay.

On this auspicious day, 2-22-2022, we bring her message:

From Lo'oet, Fire Keeper

Long have I known you

  loved you

    guided you

Little one, little SiStar, Talis Tenas

      Beloved little one

I sit on the bridge, tending the Sacred Fire

  for the people

     for the old and the young

      the sound of heart & spirit,

     for the weak and lonely ones.

       for the free, 

       for those ensnared.

Medial Woman Am I

   On the Bridge between the Worlds

     Tending the Sacred Flame

       Carrying the stories, bringing change & renewal

I hold the Chalice of Pure Water

  During this time of fires, of drought

    This time of Smoke and danger,

      I remind you to guard your flame carefully

   I hold the fire, yet my colours

     Are watery blues and purples

The Chalice brings life, brings renewal,

 Come, share the water of life!

Owl Woman, Woman between the worlds

  Wisdom woman, Keeper of the Sacred flame

    One with Clear vision, who calls sacred the homeland of the people, 

 Who calls us to remember -

Who are you?

   What would you?

      When will you?

    Who do you Ally with?

       What calls your Heart & Soul?

          How will you live from your vision?

Way shower, holder of blessings

  Who are you, in the great world?

     What do you bring

        In your Medicine Basket?

Medial woman, Owl woman

   holding place in the Middle

     Holding Soul Fire stories,

       Which warm the heart & enflame the spirit!

    Watching over the land & the people.

Fire Keeper am I, story keeper, wisdom keeper

    Keeper of the Sacred Flame

      Ever renewing, ever renewed

        Come! Drink from the sacred well!

      Come! Come home to your soul! Come share your sacred medicine!

Claiming Space

Several of my artist friends are claiming studio space, either in nearby business spaces, or in their homes. Recently one wrote about moving her studio into one of their largest rooms, with her husband's blessing. She realized she had "permission" all along, but didn't feel "worthy" of that large room. She invited us to notice where we play small, and if it's time to shift! 

This is a timely inquiry! For the past three years, I've had

Dining nook Atelier

my Atelier in my little dining nook, a space about 5 x 6', which opens into my kitchen. My daughter asked a few days ago if I'd thought of moving my seating area into that nook, and "claiming" my living room for my art! It's an area ~ 11.5 x 20' and I'd thought of using the back section (10 x 10') but not of moving my seating into the nook! 

Front living room

I go in cycles of more organized and clutter-full, and am currently in a cluttered need-to-dethug and organize phase! Sigh. And my daughter asked her good-at-cleaning and organizing husband, "which should and do first? Move stuff around, or declutter?" ... (you guessed it! ... sigh) I found this kool video on creativity and clutter from the "Clutter Fairy," nice to watch while I'm sorting through some piles! And she offers some great tips on going through craft stuff, to make it easier to get creative! 

As a Virgo, I have a tendency to want perfection, and can get overwhelmed when it's gotten chaotic. (CHAOS: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). I love the energy of rearranging, and cleaning around that! So, .... on with it! 

Last night at our Red Thread Circle, our inquiry was

around the messages of Cancer, what are our crab claws ready to release, what are they opening to receive? I played flute while Sepha led a meditation, and then we moved to out art materials. 

I drew a crab on the white board, and told the kid's story about a hermit crab decorating its shell, then outgrowing it, and needing to move on. One gal, who's changing jobs, used that imagery. A couple of others painted hands, closed fist and open to receive. I had a tangle of seaweed that my crab was moving out of.

This morning, I'm sketching the spaces to rearrange, and thinking of better organized storage. I cleaned out the under-stair closet on 4th of July, and plan some shelves and bins for seasonal things stored there. I had a field trip to Ikea last weekend, and got a Råskog cart for in use materials, and some lights (and lots of ideas!) 

Happy Paint Party Friday! 
What are you ready to release? 
What are you opening to receive?

Fire Keeper

Lo'oet, Owl Woman

Owl Woman - Fire Keeper

Wind at my back, fanning the coals, sun rises in the East

Fire keeper Am I, Keeper of the Sacred Flame

From Lo'oet, Fire Keeper

Long have I known you

  loved you

    guided you

      Little one, little SiStar, Talis Tenas

       Beloved little one

I sit on the bridge, tending the Sacred Fire

  for the people

     for the old and the young

      the sound of heart & spirit,

     for the weak and lonely ones

       for the free, for those ensnared

Medial Woman Am I

   On the Bridge between the Worlds

     Tending the Sacred Flame

       Carrying the stories, bringing change & renewal

And the Chalice of Pure Water

  During this time of fires, of drought

    This time of Smoke and danger

      I remind you to guard your flame carefully

   I hold the fire, yet my colours

     Are watery blues and purples

The Chalice brings life, brings renewal,

  Come, share the water of life!

Owl Woman, Woman between the worlds

  Wisdom woman, Keeper of the Sacred flame

    One with Clear vision, who calls sacred the homeland

Who are you?

   What would you?

      When will you?

    Who do you Ally with?

       What calls your Heart & Soul?

          How will you live from your vision?

Way shower, holder of blessings

  Who are you, in the great world?

     What do you bring

        In your Medicine Basket?

Medial woman, Owl woman

   holding place in the Middle

     Holding Soul Fire stories,

       Which warm the heart & enflame the spirit!

    Watching over the land & the people.

Fire Keeper am I, story keeper, wisdom keeper

    Keeper of the Sacred Flame

      Ever renewing, ever renewed

        Come! Drink from the sacred well!

      Come! Come home to your soul!

********* ********* ********* ********* ********** ********** **********

Tenas Talis, Little Beloved one!

 We bring you Wings & the gifts of the old Knowing! We light the fires of the hearts and souls, as you fill the cups, & share the abundance that comes to you naturally and sweetly! You draw from the well of old stories, weaving the NEW renewed and renewing You reweave the dreams, shining light on the strands, untangling, smoothing, awakening understanding. Quantum blessings await all who come to the bridge between the ways and worlds. 

You are so blessed, share the blessings! As you dance into who you came to be, the people come to the bridge - they come, they come! Are you ready? Fan the flames, pour the cup, tend the hearth, set the table, Welcome those who come to be renewed & ever renewing! All is well, all manner of being is well.

Aho - it is good!

** In the late 70s, I followed a meditation to 'meet your internal healer,' & Lo'oet came forward. Lo'oet is the old name for Mt St Helens, & in the NW tradition, she was the only one along the Columbia River who still had fire ... so Great Spirit (or coyote!) commissioned her to sit on the Bridge of the Gods, (then a land bridge) sharing her fire with those from both sides of the river. The children sent to receive fire from her mock her, so she asks Great Spirit to renew her youth and beauty, which Great Spirit agrees to, reluctantly! and then ....

In the late 80s, I retold her story, weaving in an Owl companion, & shared it in my Creative Writing class. A few years later, I wrote a song for my new harp, 'Fire Keeper's Lay,' which begins with the line "Wind at my back, fanning the coals, sun rises in the East" ... In a workshop on healing I took around that time, Rosalyn Bruyere commented that people ally around the goddess of the land, Isis in Egypt, in the NW, it was Owl Woman.

My grandmother's middle name was Vestella, 'little fire/hearth goddess' ... in both the NW and Greek stories, Lo'oet & Vesta have trouble choosing between two loves ... Apollo (sun/fire) & Poisiden (water!) .... here we have the chalice & the sacred flame ...

Owl Woman, Fire Keeper is the third painting for my Color of Woman teacher training, within the theme Soul Fire or Alchemist. Within the crucible, base metal becomes fine gold.
During 'Adornment, I used interference paint (just a dot!!), some mixed with Quinacridone Magenta or with Pthalo Turquoise. You'll notice these places where highlights reflect different colour!

What lights your soul fire, and keeps it burning? 
linking to Paint Party Friday (one of my delights!!)