The Womb of Creation
WOMXN | NATURE Stories of Rematriation
Stories Of Rematriation Art
The Womb of Creation (Acrylic on Canvas) 30"x48"
This piece was a more personal exploration of the themes within this Woman | Nature series. Here I explore the themes of colonization of Indigenous Western Europeans, the Celtic holocaust at the hands of Roman invaders, as well as, the witch-burning times. The violent conversion from pagan earth-based religions to Christianity. And the rape and pillage of women and of the earth, forests, and sacred trees. The ancient and sacred symbology of the Vesica Piscis represents the trinity and the role of the divine feminine and goddess in creation. In Celtic art and other ancient societies, the Vesica Piscis represented the womb of creation, and the Goddess in three stages of life: maiden, mother, and crone. The Vesica Piscis also represents balance, unity into duality, male and female union, or from two a third is born. This symbol can also be traced to Pythagorean Greece, ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and Africa.
Throughout Europe, Oaks are among the tallest and strongest trees in the forests and were worshiped by many ancient cultures, from the Greeks and Norse to the Druids and Slavs. The Oak sprout between the woman's fingers symbolizes these cultures in harmony and reverence of the earth.
The Nemeton was the Druid name for the sacred forest groves and natural places where the Druids and Celts went to worship. Before Europe was conquered by the Romans, these groves were everywhere, during the Celtic holocaust many of these groves were intentionally cut down by invading forces in attempts to convert Druids to Christianity and subdue their people by destroying their culture and sacred spaces. There are many parallels between what happened to Indigenous European peoples and Indigenous peoples all across the globe.
Here is a short video I made explaining some of the symbology and meaning within this piece.
I also recommend this excerpt from an Interview with Historian Michael Tsarion, which perfectly encapsulates some of the connections between sacred trees, the Goddess and the Vesica Piscis. What is the importance of trees in mythology? Is there a connection between ancient goddess worship and the tree of knowledge?