Suddenly an Elder

Featured Article By Kristine Pollack SUDDENLY AN ELDER

Earth’s Moon

In the spring of 2019, I received a call from my Uncle that my Aunt Dory had passed. Dory had been the last living female in my Mother’s birth family. As I stopped to reminisce about Dory, Mom, and Nana, I remembered all the love and support they provided throughout my life and I felt a very deep loss settle into my bones.

Each of these women had loved and encouraged me to follow my passions and now they were all on the other side. My first thought was what was I going to do? I no longer had an elder with whom I could talk over my troubles, ask for advice, cry, and laugh. I suddenly felt so very, very alone and sad.

As I sat with these thoughts, I remembered as a child how much they encouraged my curiosity. I wanted to know about everything: planets, bugs, animals, birds, the ocean and its creatures. You name it, I had questions about it!

These kind, loving women helped and encouraged me by supplying books full of pictures and information. Then they would sit with me answering my endless questions.

While I sat reminiscing, it suddenly dawned on me—I am now the oldest female in my Mom’s family line! Holy WHAT! I am an ELDER!!!!

I was in such shock! I’m now an Elder??!!!

Thoughts started racing through my mind; What does it mean to be and elder? Do I have specific responsibilities? Does anyone in my family even recognize these types of things? What if anything am I supposed to do? I truly didn’t think anyone would acknowledge this change or treat me any differently, but I wanted to do something to honor the women who had gone before me.

While I sat reminiscing, it suddenly dawned on me—I am now the oldest female in my Mom’s family line! Holy WHAT! I am an ELDER!!!!

After sitting with this new revelation and spending time in meditation; I decided I would paint one painting for each month of the year in honor of the women who had preceded me.

This idea felt right, and I could feel my ancestor’s encouragement and love as I started to lay out my plan. “Yes this is a positive way for me to honor my ancestors; a way to deal with my deep sorrow, loneliness, and overwhelming emotions while adjusting to my new position in the family as an elder.”

I came up with a plan for my art project. I decided to paint all the planets in our solar system.

I had always been fascinated with the stars, sun, and sky and it brought back memories sitting on the front porch on a hot summer night with Mom, Nana, and Dory pointing out different planets, stars, and constellations as we talked and laughed into the evening.

Laying out my art project, I decided to associate the planets with the Zodiac and the twelve months of the year.

I had so much fun researching each planet before I started a new painting. The process took me back to my time with the women in my family. I felt very at home out in space with the planets and my ancestors.

My new artistic endeavor stretched my need to create a different feel to each painting. I wanted a different movement of my models, different colors, and an overall different feel to each painting that would reflect the energy of each planet.

In this process, I found myself wanting to push myself and change my perspective from my subjects looking straight at me from the canvas to more movement with each subject. In my

painting of Saturn, the woman has ram horns and is looking down at the planet from the right side of the painting as she reaches over to spin the planet like a top. This epiphany was a major breakthrough with my artwork! I was so excited to break out of the facing forward stiffness of my previous straight on subjects! Now I had a feeling of action and humor!

Mother Earth became a woman with green flowing hair laying on her back in the stars, pregnant with planet Earth with the moon is floating just off to the upper left of the painting.

The planet Jupiter is wearing a blue, jewel encrusted crown and is signing the word “Love” with her right hand as the large planet slowly rotates behind her.

I wanted to include the new generation, family female in my project and decided to add my daughter’s face to the mix in the painting for the planet “Venus”. She is her own strong-minded person without apology. She knows what she wants, and goes after it.

Mother Earth

I painted her standing forward, a large sword in her right hand pointed up covering one eye and shooting off the top of the painting. She has short green, sassy hair and a miniature dragon on her right shoulder as her cohort. It just felt right…. she is a warrior woman fearlessly taking on the world.

As I was progressing along through the project and coming close to the end of the twelve planets, Neshi contacted me and suggested I include Moons and Nebulas within the project

and extending the number of paintings for a possible Mayan Calendar. WOW, that’s a few more paintings!

I decided to create paintings of all the different Moons around many of the planets and some of the beautiful Nebulas with the airy swirling atmospheres.

One of my favorite paintings is of Earth’s Moon. In this painting I have a young freckled faced girl with green hair and wearing a butterfly mask. The full moon is just above her head as she looks Kristine Pollock Professional Artist Kristine is an accomplished oil pastel artist specializing in, Spirit Paintings. These are commissioned paintings depicting people, animals, and energy symbols customized to each client via mediation. Always expanding and exploring new ways of creating energetic, spiritual art she has expanded her choices of mediums to include Oil Pastel, Acrylic, Watercolor, Inktense Pencils, Alcohol Inks and Acrylic Inks.

forward into the camera. This one was very special to me as it brought me back to all those summer nights with the wonderful women in my life.  Blessings to you.

May you enjoy the night skies with your family, Kristine

Saturn

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The Ring of Fire

By Adriane Campbell

Hello all! I am currently in the middle of moving so I would like to share with you a ritual that I feel is perfect for this current time of transition and shadow in place of my typical article. I will be back in the Star Nations Magazine August issue with a full article. Until then, please enjoy the ritual to ignite the shadow with light into full circle.

THE RING of FIRE RITUAL Items Needed:  4 black candles of any size (tealights, votives, pillar, etc.)  Salt  Fireproof container filled with sand or salt

Begin the ritual by gathering your ritual items so that you will be ready once you have cleansed the area. Then using the smudging application of your choice, start to cleanse yourself as well as your space. Call on your guides, ancestors, and any being who you are connecting with currently.

Once you feel that you are ready, sit or lie on the floor. Take a deep breath and close your eyes. Set the intention to embrace your shadows and your light. Allow any thoughts, feelings, and emotions to come up. Paying attention to where you physically feel this as well as the details to the answers you are receiving. Stay here as long as you need to and when you are ready open your eyes.

Go to your ritual table or the surface on which you will be working. While you are focusing on what came to you during your previous meditation, carefully make a circle with the salt. Make sure that there are no openings and add more if necessary.

Place the candles at each of the four directions. Representing your shadow and light, the medicine wheel, and full cycles. Light each candle; once they are all lit take another deep breath and close your eyes. Envision and feel yourself dancing with your shadows. Embrace each one, holding hands as you move wildly and freely. Accept every single part of who you are in love and compassion. Feel the freedom and joy flowing throughout your being. Dance in this space for as long as you wish. When you are ready return to your body, ground the bottoms of your feet, and open your eyes.

Allow the candles to burn out naturally if you are able. If you are more comfortable or need to extinguish them, I do recommend using a snuffer versus blowing them out. Express gratitude to yourself, the spirits, and energies involved. Discard the candles safely and sweep up the salt. Carry the salt outside and release it to the wind.

You can repeat this ritual whenever you would like. Embrace every part of your true wild soul. You are magic.