This handcrafted linocut print is inspired by the primal dance between mothering and the spirit of Bear, drawn from a folktale of the American desert Southwest. In the story, a woman dies before her time, leaving her children behind. In her sorrow, she is met by Bear and Raven — ancient guardians who guide her as she journeys between worlds.

Her death is both literal and symbolic, echoing a truth within us all: who has not, in some way, died before their time? Who has not been asked to surrender a dream, a role, a self no longer true? These invisible moments of undoing are the soul’s great initiations — stripping us down to bone and shadow, making way for something wilder to return.

In this story, we discover how old wisdom walks on four paws — how Bear, alongside Raven, carries us through endings and into transformation. A beautiful retelling of this tale appears in Dancing with Raven and Bear by Sonja Grace, who draws on her Hopi and Norwegian heritages to share how Bear and Raven serve as threshold keepers in both traditions.

This design honors the mythic crossing, the transformational descent, at the heart of that tale — a gift for the woman who carries Bear in her bones, and makes her home a den of dreaming, sacred rest, and wild becoming.

PRINT SIZE: 11” x 14”

PAPER SIZE: 13” x 18”

COLOR OPTIONS: Desert Umber, Canyon Earth, Adobe Dust, Desert Shadow, Midnight Agave. Colors are hand mixed so please expect slight variations. If you would like to see a photo of the specific print you will receive please contact me.

MATERIALS: It is printed using Caligo safewash professional printmaking ink on archival Strathmore printmaking paper, from a local paper mill in Massachusetts.

PACKAGING: This print will be rolled in Kraft paper, packed in a recycled clear bag and shipped in a recycled cylindrical tube. It is gift-ready as it is! A one-page insert including a description of the folktale is included with the print.

SHIPPING: All prints are packaged and shipped out within 1-3 business days. This print has free shipping for U.S. Customers, and there is a flat rate fee of $20 for international customers.

IMPORTANT* Depending on your country of origin, for international customers there may be an additional tax you have to pay for the artwork to pass through customs.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out here, or email me at diemdangers@gmail.com.

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