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theme of the old wise woman, or crone, in conversation with a younger,
hopeful woman has 'shown up' in several of my drawings of these faces.
Importantly, the first time was in the very first drawing I every
made of two faces, in 1987, and that story is a good one to tell.
The older woman I portrayed in that first drawing was so frightening
I almost threw 'her' away. Ironical - as I now am 62, I am more aware
of this urge to not look at the aged, which is so very strong in our
culture! I was 38 at the time I discovered this process, and so, not
at all ready to look at myself as an aging person. Of course, in the
first many more than original 42 (depicting my relationship to the
archetypal energies of the 21 action cards of the Major Arcana of
Tarot) face drawings that I completed, I wasn't seeing the characters
who emerged as SELF-portraits, at all. It took quite a while to realize
the (inner / psyche's mirror) self-portrait aspect of this art process.
In conversation with that crone, the other woman I drew that first
time appeared to be a sort of chatelaine, or elegant and capable woman,
perhaps in her late 20's or early 30's - and her countenance was most
serene! I was so shocked at the 2 women, firstly because I'd expected
to find a 'kiss' between my inner masculine and feminine (yet, not
thinking 'self-portrait'), and here was something quite different!
I drew a line between the third eyes of their foreheads, and that
is when the image of the face-vase popped out! The woman whom I called
a hag, I named "Minerva" - and later looked her up to remember Minerva
is the Goddess of Wisdom and Invention - and then, loved her! How
could I ever have been so irreverent?! I called the chatelaine woman
"Prudence", with the humorous and hopeless thought that should I ever
be prudent, I would be so serene. While I've forgotten the journal-writing
conversation I created for Minerva and Prudence, their relationship
was less a wisdom figure and an aspirant, more as two wisdom figures
in relationship. After understanding the implications of "Minerva"
I thought they were both most hopeful. I have lost the first set of
drawings except in a photo, I'll work at getting Prudence and Minerva
to this page. I also remember another drawing of a young woman aspiring
in conversation with an older wise woman, which I did in this technique.
"Anthripa and Jewel" portrays a younger woman wishing for the comforts
of wisdom and self-confidence that come naturally with age. Anthripa
is younger than "Her Aspirant", and Jewel is older than Prudence and
younger than The Bliss Queen. When I look at The Bliss Queen and Her
Aspirant these days, I am always reminded that there is always a source
within myself for the happiness of wisdom and certainty. Seeing these
two women together reminds me that there will always be a younger
part of me, and an older. That the gifts of youth, and of old age,
are sure - and are golden! |
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