Jaguar's Moons: A Shamanic Self-Portrait
watercolor/gouache painting on paper, 2004-2007
$3500, inquire
There is a story within a story in this painting... and very personal. I am happy to share it with all who are interested. I prefer to relate it directly. I started the poem below in about 2000. It was a challenging birth... nights writing at a diner at 2 in the morning. It seemed to want to be two poems to I finally acquiesced. It was born out of a vision I had of the moon dividing in two. Often the art, in whatever form, visual, poetic, et al, informs the artist, has a life force of it's own. Toss in the collective unconscious and who knows where it will take you. After writing this poem, I learned that the Maya believed that Jaguar protected people's souls while they slept! Namaste!
Jaguar’s Two Moons
Phase I
Jaguar births from fractured light
Moon and her beloved dark waters
surrender mottled cat
to deep and sacred beauty night jaguar
tastes new gods in moon drops
laced indigo laced gold
bites mystery off a comet’s tail
chasing herself past Mars
Beauty sits atop sleeping Earth
to waken Morning Sun dappled souls
astride broad spotted back dreams
true waken promised dawn
Phase II
Born of Moon’s water
breaking out of stone
Jaguar fractures light in two
follows where it’s flown
Luna’s waters wax ~ then wane
crescent moon ~ it’s duty
surrenders beloved mottled cat
to deep and sacred beauty
Jaguar watches light play dark
bouncing betwixt the stars
bites mystery off a comet’s tail
chases herself past Mars
Seven Sisters and offspring too
dapple Jaguar’s coat
entrust themselves to Shadow
sanctuary remote
Night Beauty leaps onto her cherished Earth
splashing wisdom on her face
washes all sleeping souls onto her back
ferries them safely to sweet morning place
Kindred spirits with her fly
paint light and dark as one
tell sublime tales of timeless Jaguar Lore
a whole new world begun!
Me & My Jaguar @ White Butterfly Studio
Factory on 5th, ABQ, NM
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