This painting has many layers of symbolism.  We are in a room whose floor and walls are a mountain landscape, the first light just illuminating the peak.  The rest of the mountain and valley are in the dark.  They represent consciousness and the shadow.

In the “valley of the shadows” stands a four-poster bed with illuminated candles atop the posts.  The bed represents an altar with guardian posts in the four directions.  An owl sits on the headboard representing wisdom and clear vision in the night.

Into this sacred space has entered a priestess. She has taken a globe from its holder and opened it to release the “light of the world”, the light of peace.  The henna tattoo in the palm of her left hand, held in blessing gesture, is a combination of the gnostic “eight-pointed star of regeneration”, the ancient Icelandic rune “irresistibility" and the modern “peace “ sign.

The priestess posture echoes the Tibetan goddess Tara, who is generally depicted with her right foot stepping off her lotus throne as a symbol of her great readiness to help all.

The pillows contain many symbols including Taoist symbols for the “five great blessings” and the alchemical symbol for the “spiritus mundi” in combination with the astrological sign for earth.  The white and red roses represent spirit and matter coming together; the “conjunction” in alchemy.

The globe, its holder and the remnants of building in the shadows under the bed represent the outmoded, linear, left-brained, mechanistic view of the world.

The Young buck at rest under the “tree of life” represents immature masculine energy at rest and the river under the bed represents the eternal flow of time.

8” x 6” on acid free paper
signed by the artist - suitable for framing

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