and my interpretation:
*the staircase reminds me of the one in my grandma's home. we weren't allowed to go up them & the door was always locked
*the little girl on the stairs is me, I know
*the quince on the stairs reminds me of a uterus, I wonder if this has any connection to the hysterectomy.
*have no idea why the bed, the old woman or the shirt are there in the picture nor do I know what the house signifies. the bed does remind me of my grandmas bed.
*the Goddess I had in my collection and had forgotten about it until I started gathering for this collage. after studying it, I saw the celtic cross made of wheat in her hand and realised it was Brigid. the celtic Goddess of healing, childbirth, inspiration & inner healing.
[the 'quince uterus' on the stairs. I seem to be ready to walk past it and leave it behind (the anger & bitterness that goes along with all that happened is going to be left behind too)].
I am going up the stairs towards the door and didn't notice until last night that there are lights behind the door.. and maybe the bed means that once I leave the anger & bitterness behind, I will be able to find rest [the bed]...
a few weeks ago, I went to my acupuncturist -..she said that the area where my uterus was is very cold & that alot of my anger is repressed and could be connected to my hysterectomy as well as the menopause.. and maybe I didn't grieve when I had the operation .. and suggested a ritual, although late, to move through it..so what to do?
how does one go about doing a little personal ritual for this kind of thing?.. I ask this because I know that one of you, my wise women friends will have a suggestion or even I can take bits from all the suggestions and come up with one just for me..
11 comments:
bless you, Dear heart....
There is an enormous power in that collage -- even before i read your own interpretations, it struck me.
I'm just finding my way back to my favourite haunts....it's been something of a long and winding road...
xoxo
Maybe a ritual of release -- using a pigeon or dove (unlikely) or a helium balloon (more realistically) as a symbolic object -- focus your anger and hurt on the symbolic object, acknowledge you're ready to let it go, then release the object to fly up into the air.
I don't know any rituals Robyn but I love the way you are sorting out your journey. Maybe this workshop will find you the peace you haven't been able to find.
I am curious though as to why you weren't allowed up the stairs in your grandmothers house...
I absolutely love how you worked through so many issues in this collage. I do believe your heart is telling you to let go of the past...'that which you resist, persists'. If you would be willing to email me your postal address I have a book I could send you regarding women's issues written by a woman ob-gyn physician. She takes a holistic approach to healing.
Why not plant a peach tree? They always remind me of a womans beautiful private parts. Why not plant something that grows and reflects our power instead of trying to put to bed the notion that your body has passed that point?
We lose pieces of our physical bodies, but only so that we remember that spiritually we are still whole and growing. Celebrate the ongoing power of goddess energy, not the end of physical ability.
Love to you this day.
I love that collage. Perhaps the women and the bed are a residual from a past life memory. I started doing a little book awhile ago...a mix of drawings and collage as a story of my life.
Mary
That's really weird - Gill and I came upon a really beautiful and unusual quince bush in full bloom this morning and it felt important. The flowers were bright red, like blood. I agree the fruit is like a uterus - and the ancients must have noticed too, becasue the quince is associated with various goddesses, such as Venus.
I lend my support and prayers on your journey. All I can say is Godspeed. Or more appropriately Goddess speed!
I think it's a great collage. I love how you think through all the images and find meaning in each one. When I create collages I never think about them....I just put things together. I wish I could look at them more like you do and find hidden meanings.
i found this interesting site www.hysterectomy-association.org.uk/.../ritual-for-an-operation ...it begins ' When considering ritual I recommend you find what is most meaningful for you. This lends it potency. Though you may like to take guidance from the rituals of others, I would encourage you to make up your ritual yourself from your own inspiration and heart. It may be as brief as a few minutes or as long as you like. Some people simply light a candle and say a short prayer: “I give thanks for your part in my body and life and release you with love”. Perhaps you wish to acknowledge what this loss means to you in terms of change of body image. Women who have lost a uterus or ovaries may for example, experience a profound change in how they perceive themselves...it suggests rituals to perform such as using candles ,flowers,incense or crystals and an alter...hope the site is of some use xx
This collage is seamless -- all the images are beautifully connected, and the symbolism is very powerful.
xoxo
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