A Woman to Match A Mountain: Neal Forsling and Crimson Dawn.
Film review by Sid Reger, Ed. D.
Neal Forsling
Are myths and legends only available from ancient sources? This charming biographical film proves that it’s possible for a modern woman to single-handedly build a myth tradition that continues to thrive in Wyoming 80 years after its creation. Neal Forsling was herself the stuff of legend, a young woman who divorced in the 1920s and moved with her two girls to homestead on a mountaintop in the rugged land near Casper. There she not only defied convention as a writer and artist, but in 1930, at her Summer Solstice party, she started a living myth tradition: the Witches of Crimson Dawn.
Witches and lanterns, N. Forsling
Through telling and enacting stories for the children of the mountain, Neal and her friends created an ongoing celebration of fairies, witches, and other mythic characters. She maintained that the Crimson Witch approached her when she moved to the land, and told her to protect the beautiful mountain and pass its stories on to willing visitors. As the Bohemian group of artists in Casper grew, so did the energy for creating the stories of the witches, (benevolent spirits) elves, and woodcutters. Continue reading “Review: A Modern Mythmaker in Wyoming”
La Dame de St. Sernin, a wonderful example of mythic megaliths
Last night I sat down at the computer with a cup of tea, a pen and a tablet, ready to experience “Ancestral Stones of the Elder Kindreds.” It was Max Dashu’s visual tour of the megalithic standing stones of Europe. I thought I was ready for the course, but I found myself writing and sketching all over my tablet until I had 6 pages of scribbled notes.
Deanne Quarrie (Bendis), a scholar and author in her own right, also took the class. She says,
I sat enthralled before my computer, enjoying Max’s collection of images of standing stones and menhirs from France, Spain, Germany, areas around the Mediterranean, and from Africa, clearly representing woman’s forgotten place in our ancient heritage. I am going to be taking her course (also online) and can hardly wait – I am so excited!
This is an ever-expanding and rotating juried exhibit of artworks by ASWM members. You may also want to visit our International Art Exhibition, “Wisdom Across the Ages,” which is available to view until September 9, 2021.
View Gallery: click on an image below to view full screen and comment (down arrow)
Ancient Spirit Wisdom by Jassy Watson
Anadolu Twins by Lydia Ruyle
Hallelujah by Merry Norris
Butterfly Goddess & Praying Mantis, by Louie Laskowski
Goddess Icon Banner of Anadolu Twins, by Lydia Ruyle
Anadolu Twins by Lydia Ruyle
Lydia says of this image, “The Anadolu Twins vibrate with the transformational energy of human relationships between parent-child, feminine-masculine, teacher-student, friend-foe, spirit-matter, idea-reality. Nothing in the universe exists in isolation. Everything is in relationship.”
Max says of this goddess: Siberians revered a white-maned Old Woman who was also a Mare. Ayyyhyt sits by the Tree of Life at the crest of the central world mountain. An endless stream of foamy moisture flows from the Tree to the holy Earth, forming a lake of pure milk. All-knowing, Ayyyhyt inscribes the fate of all beings on its leaves. This “gentle Creatrix” causes women to conceive, protects them in childbirth, and provides newborns with lifeforce and “a ceaseless breathing.” The Yakut called her Ayyyhyt or Ayisyt, Birth-Giving Nourishing Mother. The Altai Turks knew her as Milk Lake Mother, the giver of all life.
Goddesses from Scythia, along the Black Sea coast, were often shown with the wings and tail of a bird. As such, they may have been the origin of the Sirin figures. In some cases they were used as standards carried at the head of armies in battle, and thus related to the ‘winged victories’ found later in Greece.
The image is taken from a gold pendant in the Scythian gold collection at the Kiev Pechersky Lavra in Kiev, Ukraine. Fourth century BCE. It is pictured in Ganina.
Mary Plaster, MA, DMin, has been creating and teaching across various genres and venues of studio and theater art throughout her career. The image of Sophia, Divine Wisdom, arises from her interest in traditional religious iconography. Mary says of this original image, “I depicted Lady Wisdom seated in the context of the entire Cosmos, beckoning us to inclusive and sustainable decision making that gently cooperates with global community.”
Mary’s other works, based on folk art from Mexico, are large papier-mâché puppets of historical and mythological figures. Mary is currently designing gods and creatures for the University of Minnesota’s musical theater spring 2011 production of The Odyssey. Learn more about her workshops and creations at maryplaster.com
Hallelujah by Merry Gant Norris
Hallelujah by M. Norris
Merry Gant Norris is an artist, teacher, and creativity mentor who worked for 35 years to develop community resources for women in recovery from addiction. She says, “Hallelujah is a mandala celebrating the mother aspect of the Triple Goddess.” A painter of both goddesses and mandalas, Merry has been honored with five solo shows and in 2000 opened Merry Nova Studio as a safe place for women to explore their spirituality through art. Merry gives mandala workshops and founded GODDESS AND ANGEL, a joyful program that helps women discover their sacred wholeness.
Jassy Watson, who lives on the sub-tropical coast of Queensland Australia, is a Mother of four, passionate organic gardener, Visionary Artist, Teacher, Intentional Creativity Coach and a student of Ancient History and Religion at Macquarie University, Sydney. She is the Creatress of Goddesses Garden, Studio & Gallery; a school for the Sacred Creative Arts, where she teaches regular painting workshops based around themes that explore the feminine. Jassy is passionate about helping women awaken to their creative potential and building community through creativity.
Ancient Spirit Wisdom “ represents the wisdom of our ancestors passed on through story, image, sculpture, word, song, dance, ritual, prayer and ceremony. She is a reminder that my stories are also the stories shared by women everywhere, from past to present.”
Butterfly Goddess & Praying Mantis, by Louie Laskowski
Butterfly Goddess and Praying Mantis
Louie is a long-time artist and art educator who lives in central Indiana. This painting is one of a series called “Under the Wall Paper” that has many patterns in the work to mimic wallpaper patterns in vintage books. Louie says, “As an owner of an 1800’s home, I know about peeling layers of wallpaper—There is a sense of time, style, and culture in these layers. I reflect upon the women who came before me. I imagined, ‘What would a butterfly goddess look like?’ and chose a Black Madonna. The praying mantises in my gardens love cabbage butterflies so I painted the critter, honoring its life source as well. The colors and textures are due to the influences of Mexican culture on my “white-male university-art-training” aesthetics.”
When ASWM members met in Madison, WI, on the morning of May 14, we could feel excitement buzzing in the room even before the presentations started. Several women had just heard about the discovery of a Paleolithic goddess figure in Germany, and they were sharing her image on their phones and computers!
The Paleolithic Hohle Fels Figure
The story and image of the Hohle Fels figure hit the media just as we were meeting. Carbon dating suggests that this ivory goddess was made at least 35,000 years ago, making her one of the oldest sculpted representations of the human figure.
This website is the place for some of our favorite mythic images–artifacts, art, and sacred sites–from members’ collections. We will only share them with members!
1. Our Girls in Büyükdere (three Neolithic Anatolian goddess figures from the Sadberk Hanim Museum outside of Istanbul), shared by Sid Reger from a visit to Turkey in 2006. I haven’t seen a detailed discussion of these three ladies, but I know they are from Hacilar.
Sadberk is a small private museum not to be missed–one lovely boat ride away from Istanbul. The museum itself has won architectural awards for blending Ottoman yeli style with a modern expansion.
Neolithic goddesses, Sadberk Museum, outside of Istanbul
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