This painting of an Old European goddess, based on a figure found in Anatolia, shows her with the full range of her powers over life and death, and emphasizes that the death she metes out is an integral stage in the constant transformation, or regeneration, that is implicit in life itself. The bone color of her body symbolizes death, but green accents affirm new growth. The red surrounding her symbolizes life, as do the eggs that have emerged from her body. The yellow egg-shaped halo behind her head carries an ancient connotation of yellow as a color of death as well as the more recent idea of yellow as illumination. The decoration on the eggs was inspired by various Old European patterns from the Vinca culture, each with its own symbolic reference to the regenerative power of the goddess.
For me, the egg symbolizes our creative potential, and this goddess, by her fearless example, encourages us to fulfill our own creative potential in our chosen field, whatever it may be.
The piece was painted in egg tempera over chalk gesso.
Read Meet Mago Contributor, Elaine Drew.
We, the co-editors, contributors, and advisers, have started the Mago Web (Cross-cultural Goddess Web) to rekindle old Gynocentric Unity in our time. Now YOU can help us raise this torch high to the Primordial Mountain Home (Our Mother Earth Herself) wherein everyone is embraced in WE. There are many ways to support Return to Mago. Donate $3.00 to $10.00 is one way. For your time and skill, please email Helen Hwang (magoism@gmail.com). Please take an action today and we need that! Thank YOU in Goddesshood of all beings!
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