I’m waiting for the middle part of this painting now.  I am allowing drying time because another layer will need to be added and I want the colors of this layer to be clear and not slide into the previous layer. What comes next I am working on.  I am fairly certain that I will follow with patterns in the earth and forest, and more light in the sky.

I’m reading The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock. Here is an except that struck me very personally:

In Navaho mythology, Changing Woman is the creatrix. She is the earth and sky, the Lady of Plants and of the Sea . . .She is forever changing and evolving. ‘Her cosmic cyclic movements -- aging each winter and becoming a beautiful young maiden each spring--make Her the essence of death and rebirth, signature of the continual restoration and rejuvenation of Life.’ (14) It is said that ‘where masculine creativity tends to move always forward, feminine creativity tends to to turn round on itself, not cirucularly so much as spirally.’ (25)  it is constantly changing.  Through dance Changing Woman creates.  This woman of incredible beauty creates beauty wherever she goes.  She wears a dress of white shells and turqoise and dances a puberty ritual for all young Navaho girls.  This dance is described in the ‘Song of the First Puberty Ceremony’:

She moves, she moves.

She moves, she moves.

White-Shell_Woman, she moves

her shoes of white shell, she moves

her shoes trimmed in black, she moves

Her shoe-strings of white shell, she moves

her leggings of white shell, she moves

Her dancing-skirt of white shell, she moves

her belt of white shell, she moves

Her skirt of white shell, she moves

her bracelet of white shell, she moves

Her necklace of white shell, she moves

Her earrings of white shell, she moves

Above her a male blue-bird dances about beautifully

she moves

He sings:  his voice is beautiful, she moves

Before her all is beautiful, she moves

Behind her all is beautiful, she moves

She moves, she moves

She moves, she moves. (26)