Enter Goddess No. 1 or How to dream a new reality

I can feel a new series of paintings coming on and as usual, the idea came to me at a low point when I needed it the most. After a very dark conversation with a good friend I penned an equally dark blog post, then after 24 hours I realized that it didn't even sound like me so I nixed it and began to go deeper.

As I sat and stared at my current painting in progress I asked for a vision and then I meditated. Next, I found myself in a swirling, milky green crystal where I encountered a fire spirit and so I dallied a while and when I came to I had the idea for a new series to be called: The Lost Goddess Series and of course my last painting (see below) just had to Goddess No. 1

Connecting with the fire spirit reminded me of all the work I've done in the psychic realms and as a Creative Soul Guide and teacher of the eClass, Awaken Your Divine Feminine Soul and it made me wonder why I had not brought these 2 realms together in my new work. And when I asked that question, POOF everything fell into place and it made sense why this last painting had a female face within it.

I am hoping to commune further with this Goddess to see if she will tell me her name and what kind of magical qualities she has, so stay tuned!

My Facebook friends suggested these names for her: Egyptian Pagan Alien Samurai TimePiece Silent Dancer Horns of the Moon Torn Coatlicue Gently Rising Inner Currents Trip to the dentist

*This painting is available for purchase, please email Kathy Crabbe for more info*

Notes from The Seth Material

Subjectively speaking, you are everywhere surrounded by your own greater reality, but you do not look in the right places. You have been taught not to trust your feelings, your dreams, or your imagination precisely because these do not fit the accepted reality of facts.

They are the creator of facts, however. In no way do I mean to demean the intellect. It is here, however, that the tyranny of the fact world holds greatest sway. The intellect has been denied its wings. Its field of activity has been limited because you have given it only facts to go on.

Each event of your life is contained within each other event. In the same way, each lifetime is contained in each other lifetime. The feeling of reality is "truer" then in the dream state. You can become consciously aware of your own dreaming. You can also allow your "dream self" greater expression in the waking state. This can be done through techniques that are largely connected with creativity.

Creativity connects waking and dreaming reality, and is in itself a threshold in which the waking and dreaming selves merge to form constructs that belong equally to each reality. You cannot begin to understand how you form the physcial events of your lives unless you understand the connection between creativity, dreams, play, and those events that form your waking hours. In one respect dreams are a kind of structured unconsious play. Your mind dreams in joyful pleasure at using itself, freed from the concerns of practical living. Dreams are the minds' free play. The spontaneous activity, however, is at the same time training in the art of forming practical events.

From The Nature of The Psyche, A Seth Book by Jane Roberts

How to envision a new reality: Tips from the ancient dreamers

While reading the Seth Material (printed below) please be aware that this is channeled information received by Jane Roberts from Seth, “an energy personality essence no longer focused in physical form”. Many people find this kind of writing transports them creatively into other worlds and dimensions.

The text below about the ancient dreamers clicked with me instantly so I'd like to share with you how it relates to my work. When I began my current series of paintings, Journey into Intimacy I too radically slowed my pace of living; editing and simplifying, putting my painting and drawing at the forefront. My inner compass has always been guided by my dreams and I feel a natural affinity with the ancient cave painters, and with vedic scribes and medieval monks; creators of the illuminated manuscripts. I also believe that we can heal and create our reality using our thoughts, dreams and visions as a starting point. But now, with my current work I am expanding that personal vision, just as the ancient dreamers and cave painters did, into the external world. My dreams are my paintings and, like the ancient dreamers, invite you to step into a new world and envision a new reality.

My first painting on canvas from the Journey into Intimacy series is titled "Take me to your playground" (see above) which quite literally is an invitation, but an invitation to what sort of playground is unclear, leaving room for imagination - that part is up to you. Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments and visions below.

Notes from the Seth Material by Jane Roberts

There is a great underlying unity in all of man's so-called early cultures - cave drawings and religions - because they were all fed by that common source, as man tried to transpose inner knowledge into physical actuality.

The body learned to maintain its stability, its strength and agility, to achieve a state of balance in complementary response to the weather and elements, to dream computations that the conscious mind alone could not hold. The body learned to heal itself in sleep in its dreams - and at certain levels in that state even now each portion of consciousness contributes to the health and stability of all other portions. Far from the claw-and-dagger universe, you have one whose very foundation is based upon the loving cooperation of all of its parts.

These ancient dreams were shared to some extent by each consciousness that was embarked upon the earthly venture, so that creatures and environment together formed great environmental realities. Valleys and mountains, and their inhabitants, together dreamed themselves into being and coexistence.

The species - from your viewpoint - lived at a much slower pace in those terms. The blood, for example did not need to course so quickly through the veins, the heart did not need to beat so fast.

Gravity itself did not carry its all pervasive sway, so that the air was more buoyant. Man was aware of its support in a luxurious, intimate fashion. He was aware of himself in a different way, so that, for example, his identification with the self did not stop where his skin stopped: He could follow it outward into the space about his form, and feel it merge with the atmosphere with a primal sense-experience that you have forgotten.

In a fashion those ancient dreams, through their immense creativity, dreamed all of life's creatures in all of their pasts, presents, and futures - that is, their dreams opened up the doors of space and time to entities that otherwise would not have been released into actualization, even as, for example, the units of consciousness were once released from the mind of All That Is.

Dreams, "Evolution," and Value Fulfillment Vol. 1, A Seth Book by Jane Roberts

Portfolio: Journey Into Intimacy

2011 Journey Into Intimacy

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2010 Journey Into Intimacy

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2009 Journey Into Intimacy

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Artist Statement

I am interested in exploring contradictions abstractly by juxtaposing opposites to express multiple truths. Each painting and print is an exploration of intimacy, vulnerability, raw emotion and healing in line with the Divine Feminine.

The watery, responsive nature and quick drying time of acrylics expresses fleeting moods and fiery passions in brilliant color that blends, bleeds, drips and flows onto smooth, gessoed silk and wood.

The paintings are just large enough to capture huge and overpowering emotions using unusual tools like garden rakes, house painting brushes or my body pressed into the surface.

Nothing is pre-planned or sketched. The process itself leads the way no matter how long it takes. Sometimes one stroke can take hours of looking.

I hope this series inspires the discovery of hidden beauty.

Kathy Crabbe

Resume Blog: art-in-progress

Craft for Misfits: An Interview with Michelle Riley

This month's special guest in my Creative Soul Circle is Aussie Artist Michelle Riley of Threefold Designs: 'Craft for Misfits'. Sign up here for the Creative Soul Circle ~ it's free! Interview with Michelle Riley

What aspect of creating your art do you find the most enjoyable?

The design and execution of my art is the most enjoyable to me … especially stitching!

What originally got you started?

I went to Art School after high school, but although I knew I wanted to be an artist, I hadn’t found a medium I ‘clicked’ with.  It was only afterwards that I was inspired by the designs of Kaffe Fassett, and realized that needlepoint was the medium that suited me.

Who has inspired you the most creatively, and why?

The aforementioned Kaffe Fassett (www.kaffefassett.com), who is a creative and colour genius!  I am also inspired by hearing stories of other artists who have made a living doing what they love.

How did you decide what medium to work in?

I’m not sure why needlepoint struck a chord with me – I think it’s because wool is so earthy, grounding and textural.  I also like the fact that needlepoint isn’t considered ‘cool’ – it’s a challenge convincing people that it can be ;)

What message, if any, do you want to convey with your art?

To be honest, I’ve never really thought about conveying a message at all … I just do what makes me happy, and what is aesthetically pleasing to me.  If others love it, then that’s fantastic!  I do like to encourage people to learn cross stitch though.

If you had to choose a fruit or vegetable to describe yourself, what would you choose and why?

Rambutan – it’s weird looking, some people really love it and some people really hate it!  And yes, I can be a bit spiky at times ;)

If you had to choose one other medium in which to display your creativity, what would that be and why?

Woven tapestry!  This is what I am studying at the moment (in my second year of a 6 year diploma), and I hope to create one-of-a-kind pieces that complement my needlepoint kits.

What advice do you have for others who are just starting to develop creatively?

Seriously, just do it!  Don’t sit there thinking ‘oh, I’m not good enough’ – get out there are do what makes you feel happy!  Don’t worry about what other people think – the judgement is only as relevant as the judge ;)

What role does spirituality play in your creative life?

An enormous role!  My designs are ‘given’ to me by particular entities that want to make themselves known to me.  My very first design was Moon Phases, and I did this when I started studying Astrology.  Other designs came about after I was ‘visited’ by entities wanting their portraits done … for example, Hathor wouldn’t leave me alone until her design was done.  One day I set it aside to do something else, and the whole frame came crashing down (I still don’t know how!).  All was well when I started working on it again!

Do you have any business or marketing tips for other artists/crafters?

I’m probably not the best person to ask, since I’m still learning this myself!  If anyone reading this has any suggestions, I’d be glad to hear them ;)

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Life is all about doing what makes you feel good!  If you are thinking to yourself ‘I’d always like to be trying that’, then get out there and do it – you’re never too old, or not good enough to find your passion in life.

Michelle's Links: Threefold Needlepoint Shadowplay (Michelle's goth/dark wave radio show)

Each month in the Creative Soul Circle you'll meet a different guest and have an opportunity to interact with them in person. The Circle also features a Moon Musing Group; a support group for women.

Aries Crone Moon Musing

Aries Crone MoonJune 23, 2011 4:48 am pdt

Today is the beginning of the Waning (Crone) Moon. Every new/full/crone moon I post moon musings here in our Moon Musing Group with guided exercises, meditations, challenges and actions to help guide you on this Divine Feminine Journey into Moon Musing.

At the previous Full Moon many of us connected with your primary archetype. Well, now we're going to release ALL limitations, fears, burdens, etc. so we can move forward at the upcoming New Moon in Cancer on July 1.

Creative Soul Action: Let go of all labels, archetypes etc. so that you are standing on your own. Then pick a Creative Soul Card®. Take a moment to allow yourself to resonate with your card on a deep level. Then when you're ready I want you to embody the card on a deep level knowing that you are letting go of all you do not need or want.

Questions:

1. Describe how that feels.
2. How will you nurture this side of yourself?

How does your card tie in to the Crone Moon and also to the intentions you set at the previous New Moon?

To join the conversation in a group of Soul SiStars please join my Creative Soul Circle ~ it's free!