The Blue Jay is highly territorial and vocal. They symbolize protection of the family and stubborn confidence. A friend recently told me about a pair of Blue Jays building their nest in his deck arbor. He can’t discourage them from their determination to nest in his space. I reminded him that seeing two blue jays represents enhanced good luck.

The Jay is thought to be a messenger from the spirit world, often appearing when one needs encouragement to carry on. I have been focusing on chakras in my yoga practice, and the throat chakra emanates a blue swirling energy in the throat and mouth, encouraging honest expression and communication.

I was drawn by jays’ rich black and white stripes on bright blue feathers. The intense energy in their communication reminds me of “The Annunciation” depicting the story of the Angel Gabriel appearing to the Virgin Mary to announce the impending birth of Jesus.

This piece is a departure from my framed icons. It was inspired by the studio of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts style of leaf patterned prints. Finished as a wall hanging, it encourages close inspection of the textures and thread stitching

Spirit, symbol, caller, clown; the blue jays are a force of nature.

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Transformation and renewal are also associated with this orb. Mystery and emotion evoke feelings of deep connection for me. I find myself drawn to reflect the feelings of loved ones and events surrounding me. The moon reminds me to shift my perspective to reflect the pure light of universal power, the central energy and intelligence source.

Moon Goddess is enthroned in a galaxy of stars with her wings outstretched in worship and protection. She holds in her left hand the morning star, the planet Venus, the brightest object in the night sky. In her right hand is a star lily, the symbol of purity often illustrated in paintings of “The Annunciation” and “The Resurrection”. Both events portend new beginnings, like the dawn of a new day. The Moon Goddess silently favors the darkness, casting her spell on the earth.

Celebrate the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, by gazing into the darkness tonight with the joy of new beginnings.

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My morning ritual takes me outside to watch the sky lighten and the stars fade beside the pool. The water reflects the light and mirrors the constant changes of color as the sun emerges from behind Geyser Peak. The bees arrive to begin their day’s labor with a gentle hummm. Any moisture in the air reflect the changing light in a subtle color shift.

The dawn chorus is a symphony of bird calls on our ridge, changing with the seasons as the birds migrate through. The goddess has the gift of flight, able to capture air currents over the Alexander Valley. My Sun Goddess is worshiping the rising sun, with the face of my beloved. The golden rays tint the clouds. The moon and stars fade.

Sun rise is a new beginning for me. It brings up thoughts of life, intentions for the day ahead, and offers the light of optimism.

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Important decisions, like finding the perfect location for a new home, involve the worker bees, known as scouts, locating and then communicating potential sites to the population of their colony. The waggle-dance is a form of communicating direction and location for sources of nectar as well as new home locations. Imagine if we humans could speak to each other through a dance so convincing that other members of our families or countries or global communities could understand our message and make a good decision for the majority, one that all members would agree to follow.

The Queen bee is a mother and egg-layer, not an autocrat or leader. My Bee Goddess is laying larvae on the center of a sunflower disk floret, a Celtic knot symbolizing unity and eternity. The honeybees explore the ray florets of the outer petals, protecting and feeding their Queen.

The meaning of the sunflower in Greek mythology is the story of the water nymph Clytie and the sun god Apollo. Clytie loved Apollo, but he did not return her affections. She pined for him, daily watching his chariot fly across the sky. Clytie was transformed into a sunflower, destined to turn her face to the sun’s path for eternity. Sunflowers symbolize loyalty, adoration, happiness and longevity. The instinct to turn and face the sun is also seen as faith, positivity, and perseverance.

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My owls of wisdom are perched on the Celtic Shield Knot symbolizing protection, the interconnectedness of all things, both physically and spiritually. This is my prayer for the universe. The horizon implies there are two ways of interpreting the image of Wisdom perched in space on the symbol of eternal unity.

It is challenging to stay informed of the current global turmoil and maintain a sense of strength and protection from evil spirits and horrendous outcomes.

My representation of red-tailed hawks, territorial and predatory raptors, engaged in negotiations with the central concept of peaceful resolution is aspirational, hopeful. I do believe in the collective power of prayer and the manifestation of spiritual intentions for Good. This is a Trinity Knot with a blend of Christian symbolism; life, death and rebirth, also found in the Celtic culture.

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Mudras are the hand and foot positions used in yoga to awaken the life force in our breath and spiritual centers. Each mudra can be visualized as completing a closed electrical circuit to prevent the spiritual energy leaking from the system.

My Mudra Madrone is a Celtic Knot representing the endless cycle of life, death, rebirth, and the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world. The roots and branches have hands and feet in mudra positions expressing the contemplation of eternal life. The Gyan mudra (a circle of the index and thumb) is a gesture of wisdom or knowledge, a connectedness between the individual and the universal. The Dhyani mudra, at the base of the trunk, opens the palms to reflect, meditate and contemplate. The Anali mudra, or Namaste, at the crown of the madrone bows to the divine in you from the divine in me.

The four corners enclose the icon of the Mudra Madrone in the elements of Air, Fire, Earth and Water. The Namaste mudra is encircled by a sphere, the symbol of the Spirit.

This struggle is found throughout the ages in the religions of the world. The Abraham religions strive for Good to overcome Evil. In the Buddhist ideology, they are not seen as separate entities, rather as different aspects of the same action with the focus on “karma”, our actions, whether considered good or bad will have consequences in our present and future lives. The Chinese concept of Yin and Yang represents two opposing and yet complementary forces that exist in everything. The importance is in finding the balance between seemingly contradictory aspects; like light and dark, active and passive, or masculine and feminine, to achieve harmony in life.

The Goddess is inspired by the tomb paintings in ancient Egypt. The Egyptian gods were often depicted as part animal and part human. The Lion Goddess in conversation with the Serpent is working out their life destiny accompanied by the chorus of baboons chanting their mantra of “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.”

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The oak tree symbolizing endurance, power and ancient wisdom has evolved into a Celtic knot representing the interconnectedness of life, eternity and the continuous cycle of existence. I witness this evolution daily on my ranch as the burned oaks slowly die and shed their mighty arms. These cover the baby oaks emerging from the mother tree’s acorns and protect them from the hungry deer and pigs. Sheltered and nurtured, the oaklings can grow into elders.

Ravens in mythology are the symbol of extreme intelligence and deep knowledge. In this piece, they dance back to share the wisdom they have gathered during their odyssey. Like my resident ravens, they see all and caw out the news. Shiva is the Hindu god symbolizing the cycle of creation and destruction, the balance between good and evil. The Oak tree home of Odin has become a Celtic Shiva with multiple arms and dancing feet.

This piece is like an opera, and the chorus is a pair of serpent gods, Shiva’s constant companion Vasuki, singing the libretto into eternity.

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I have cultivated a relationship with them by fishing drown rodents from our pool and placing them on a platform that is easily visible and accessible to the Ravens. The bait disappears quickly, and the Ravens return every morning looking for their treat. If they see something in the pool and I have not fished it out for them, they come to get my attention by performing ariel acrobatics where they see me in the kitchen or studio. I think they have a special cackle call to remind me to look in the pool and honor our connection.

Ravens are the largest members of the Corvidae with a wingspan of almost 5 feet. They mate for life and claim a territory, protecting it from other Ravens. They are resourceful and resilient, adaptable. Ravens are problem solvers; they can use tools. They are smart and can mimic speech, learning whole sentences. Ravens represent cleverness and intelligence in mythology. The Raven intelligence extends to spiritual insight and enlightenment, symbolizing psychic power and mysticism.

Noah sent a pair of Ravens out to find land after the flood. The Norse god Oden sent out his Ravens, Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory) as spiritual messengers. In the British traditions, Ravens represent guardianship and protection. In Japanese mythology, Ravens are associated with divine intervention and benevolent guidance from the universe.

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