Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ALL EVENTS LEAVE THEIR TRACES: Australian creation god is burned into my psyche

WANDJINA. He came out of the galaxy. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)
Hallelujah for the IMAGINATION! Hallelujah for images and stories that cross cultural boundaries and time! And Hallelujah for symbols and signs that speak TRUTH to us even though we don't "read" the language.

I am a traveler, and some of the symbols I have imbibed during my travels have become a part of me--even all of me.  

All events, 
in their passing leave traces, 
burned into images, imprinted on surfaces, 
ingrained in memory. (see source  of these words below)

 
DREAM TIME. Wandjina's mouth is shrouded in clouds and mist. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

Wandjina continues to be present in my life as a repetitive image. He joined my psyche the third time I visited Australia and has brought me comfort through his ongoing appearance in my meditative drawings. What began as an urge to quench my desire to "study" this spiritual image from cave drawings in northwest Australia by drawing it repeatedly until sated, has continued until finally becoming a part of my pscyhe, seared into my memory.

Here is just one aspect of what he represents to those in Australia who continue to draw his figure on cave walls and now on canvases to sell to tourists. (see the source of my poetry below).
 
HE, WANDJINA, 
came out of the galaxy, 
the ONE beyond our understanding, 
and created all life from the body of MOTHER SNAKE. 
Traveling across HER BACK, 
he made the mountains and rocks, 
the trees and shrubs, 
animals and humans. 
WANDJINA is beyond our understanding, 
his mouth is shrouded in clouds and mist…
 
CREATION. He made the mountains, trees, shrubs, animals and us. (Art by Hallelujah Truth)

Who am I? Who are you? Do you agree that all the events in our lives leave their traces? What have your life experiences made you? What do you think about me? How can a 55-year-old Army Brat, form ESL teacher, wife of a scientist, and artist, have an Aboriginal spiritual symbol burned into my psyche? 

In addition, I have drawn Wandjina on the surface of my Chinese homework from my 20's. By merging these two periods in my life, I am continuing to redefine myself. I am learning to speak RUTH (aka Halleujah Truth).
 
That's Coffee With Hallelujah! SOUL BLOG with me. Tell me something about symbols or signs that speak TRUTH to you! What events have left their traces on you?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: (SOURCES) This quote was a part of the 1993 Chris Handran’s essay for Susan Faraday’s “Remember Me,” an installation at the Institute for Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia, 2001-2002) Information about Wandjina was found in the book, Yorro Yorro: Everything Standing Up Alive, by Mowaljarlai and Jutta Malnic.
-->

1 comment:

  1. http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/arts/what-are-wandjinas#toc0

    After reading your blog I wanted to know more about the Wandjina so I Googled it...the above link was interesting...Did you ever read about this concept...It was interesting to read about why you include the Wandjina in so much of your art work which I love seeing...especially as it progresses...Love that you are using the papers as back ground...

    ReplyDelete