Chapel of Sacred Mirrors with ‘Mixtek Mystics’ - Part 3
It’s 2 years since I was at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in New York studying with Amanda Sage and Joebob Merritt. 2 years to process and integrate all the goodness I received from being immersed in an art studio full of incredible visionary artists from around the world. Was I worthy to be there? I had some shaky moments of doubt but ultimately, the answer is yes, I absolutely deserved to be there.
The focus of the seminar and teachings was ‘Revelations: Self Portraits from a mirror’. Staring deep into our souls through our eyes via the mirror……what a trip!
More whites……as Amanda would say!
Did you ever look into your own eyes in a mirror for more than a minutes? Truly look, deeply? No, try a week of it….holy moly, what a roller-coaster of emotions. I cried, I laughed, I smiled, I contemplated my ageing face and I thought about all the years of my art and life journey and how I ended up where I was.
There were tears of loss and grief for my good friend and fellow artist Barbara O Meara that was laid to rest the day before I flew to New York. I was missing my husband and daughter, then there was happy tears of pride for making my dream come true. Up and down, inward and outward! It’s truly an eye opening/heart opening experience to look into your own eyes and create a portrait…..from your soul. You go through a journey of how you came to be where you are. Remembering old times and good times and not so good times. The process is deep! Drawing on my shamanic teachings and experiences, calling in divine inspiration - Imbas Forosnai. Through layers of glazes, whites, darks, optical greys and fixing ‘mistakes’. The magic comes through. Each step a new learning unfolds and is witnessed by those going through the same process. I see you, you see me, we all see each other through an artists lens and becoming friends too.
The week just happened to coincided with the end of a year long shamanic lineage training I did with Dr Karen Ward and John Cantwell of Slí an Chroí called ‘The Medicine Spiral.’. A year of sacred shamanic work through the seasons and elements while receiving Rites of Passage and initiations. My portait reflects this training with many of the Elements of who I am coming through. It is called ‘The Shaman’s Cosmos’. Inviting inspiration from the Divine - Imbas Forosnai.
The finished portrait ‘The Shamans Cosmos’ Soul Portrait
What do you see? Does anything resonate? Is there any part you are particularly drawn to?
Group photo on the last day of our retreat, holding our self portraits for all the world to see. Proud after leveling up!
I will be forever grateful for this initiation into the visionary artist collective that I had the honour of being with at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors and I look forward to the day I can go back and hopefully study with Alex and Allyson Grey.
Standing at the incredible doors of Entheon.