Growing up in Asia, I always believed there was a rabbit on the moon assisting the Goddess who passed the time grinding dried medicinal herbs into an elixir of immortality. However, only recently did I discover that this trio of associations (rabbits, the moon and divine feminine) is an ancient archetype, stretching across a diverse array of cultures, landscapes and centuries by way of the Silk Road.
Read MoreAthena the Goddess of Wisdom
The "Owl of Athena" or the "Owl of Minerva"—has often been used as a symbol of wisdom throughout the Western world. According to myth, Athena saved a princess and transformed her into an owl who would sit on Athena’s shoulder, and from then on, together, they could see the whole Truth. . . .suggesting that wisdom requires more than just one perspective, multiple orientations, two different vantage points, and a collaboration and deep relationship between human and more-than-human worlds.
Read MoreThe Morrigan: Holding the Tension of Opposites
The Morrígan is an Irish Celtic goddess of war and peace, destruction and fertility: a captivating symbol of contradiction, filled with magic and prophecy inviting us to similarly hold the tension of opposites. The folktale asks us: can we allow space for brokenness and beauty to sometimes intertwine?
Read MorePolar Bear Son: in Kinship with the Wild
Polar Bear Son is a deeply moving Inuit folktale with themes of reciprocity and interdependence. An elderly woman who raises an abandoned baby polar bear as her son. When she grows too old to care for herself, he hunts for food for her.
Read MoreBraiding Sweetgrass and the Goddess of Creation
SkyWoman, a Haudenosaunee Creation story about the first woman, reminds us how the wild is inherently full of symbiotic, reciprocal relationships that can inspire us to relate to each other in a similar way if we choose to honor the wisdom of the plants.
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Showing the sketch, and details of the carving, hand printing and then the final print. This artwork is inspired by a love story between mythical ocean dragon and a crane fairy, inspired by Vietnamese maritime folklore.
What Is Linocut Art?
A linocut print is a kind of relief print, similar to a woodblock print. A design is hand-carved out of artist’s linoleum which is then rolled with ink, paper is hand-pressed on top to reveal the final art print. The effect is an image that is both bold and simple, making a perfect medium for conveying classic, timeless themes and beloved folktale characters.
Read MoreRewilding the Self through Story
“Who Cooks For You?” is an African American folktale about rewilding the Self to live a more authentic life. It is inspired by Virginia Hamilton’s retelling of this story in her book Her Stories: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales: African American Folktales, Fairy Tales, and True Tales.
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