i don't know how many of you are familiar with totems or animal spirit guides...
i have a belief that the bear is my lifetime companion - drawn to them since childhood (not in the teddy bear kind of way) and inexplicably since... they seem to come to me in different ways...
i have worn this every day for the past 15 years...
don't know how long i have had this native american piece... i find it fascinating that the symbols found on this bear are ones that i have chosen to use in my work... this bear is near to me physically, but has been around so long that i had stopped looking at it...
i personally wear this charm of beth hemmila's on a bracelet each day...
choose nan emmett's open hands frequently in my work...
and then emily made me this in her ceramics class - it is a spirit rattle... i love it and am so touched that she thought to make it for me... because really, when you have a piece of clay (or any medium) in front of you, the choices are almost unlimited in terms of what you can make... she chose this - and i am grateful...
i find it fascinating in life when certain things keep coming back to you - when you make connections and feel the richer for it...
what do you connect to? and how is it integrated into your life?
that is such a great and powerful symbol for you, maire. so i had to know more... why do you think that this totem is attractive to you? what traits do you possess or what traits do you want to possess that the bear embodies?
ReplyDeletehmmm.... i wonder what totem i would assume as my own. like the movie brother bear. powerful stuff here, maire as ever.
enjoy the day!
erin
You will probably not find this surprising, but it is birds that I seem to be connected to. A couple of months ago, I looked around my living room and noticed that in most of the art that we have from all over there is a theme of birds, particularly carved ones.
ReplyDeleteSomething we share. No, not bears, though bears have passed through as a spirit totem. Frogs have always and forever been my totem. They ground me and remind me to look to the spiritual and not material things as important.
ReplyDeleteBirds are spirit guides also. Hawk has been with me for a few years now, I think in connection with Corey. Hawk brought a message to me once and I am now ever on watch.
Cardinals also are always with me, as are crows.
This could be a lengthier comment so I will end here.
You understand the spirit guides and what they bring to us. We don't choose them, they choose us.
How wonderful that you share your totem! Mine is the rabbit...in all it's amazing glory! I have miniature rabbits everywhere...but rarely use them in my work.
ReplyDeleteMy husband...and mathematics geek is tied to the hawk. He comes in from surveying with tales of hawk encounters all the time. He was privileged a couple of weeks ago to help the Raptor Society with the capture of a hawk in distress.
Love the spirit rattle em made for you!
ReplyDeleteI also love Nan's hands - maybe has something to do with reaching out, connecting.
Bear medicine - a good one - I think so 'cause I share it. Lovely collection of bear things, and the rattle is great.
ReplyDeleteIt is always wonderful to know something extra about someone whose work you admire. The bear is a powerful symbol and interesting that it appears over and over again to you. Happy creating...
ReplyDeleteinspiring thoughts...
ReplyDeletei believe our children are the doors to our soul. that's a wonderful spirit rattle your daughter has crafted..a lovely sentiment and a stunning piece.
so my verification word was bead met...interesting!
ReplyDeleteEmily's bear is wonderful..she has such talent! I would be touched as well to receive something so thoughtful from one of my children.
ReplyDeleteHummingbirds and lizards are in recurrent dreams, and like Leann, I took a look around the house and I have five hummingbird paintings, one tiger, one cranes, one dragonfly, and one koi, not to mention horses and wolves. Whew, I didn't realize just how much I have surrounded myself with animals! Even my coffee mugs are decorated with winter birds.
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing to light something we take for granted and should be aware of every day. Very cool spirit rattle, btw!
What a wonderful gift! It says a lot when your children just know how to make something for you that you will treasure deeply… what a great connection you must have!
ReplyDeleteRabbits and circles and spirals are constants in my life. I still wear my winterberry earrings from you via Dave almost every day since I received them last year when I had Riley…
~Marsha