I'm wishing you a peaceful Earth Day 2012.
To me, Earth Day is a sacred day. It's a day to celebrate all the beautiful experiences we have living on Earth.
My painting, World Mother, is my expression of my love of the Earth, and my desire to honor all Life.
I have never told my story of the World Mother and how she appeared to me. Rather, I have wanted each person to find the meaning in this image for himself or herself.
On this Earth Day 2012, I would like to share the story of how this image came to be created.
sketch of World Mother, 2006
This is the World Mother's first appearance in my sketchbook.
This was a time of darkness, illness and grieving. I was physically sick and exhausted from fighting a battle with autoimmune disease, that had been going on for years. My father and grandfather had recently died.
I was sick of death, violence, disease. Wars were raging all over the world, horrific terrorist attacks were rampant, and the 2004 tsunami in Asia had killed hundreds of thousands of people in mere minutes.
I was also becoming more aware of great changes that were happening to the Earth: climate change brought on by pollutants, caused by industry; the destruction of forests and habitats; the poisoning of our water, air and soil.
I felt powerless to do anything, and sick that I was part of this chain of destruction.
On July 10, 2006, I had just heard a story in the news. It was a report of a gang of U.S. soldiers in Iraq who had committed a heinous crime on an Iraqi family. They had gone to a home, raped a girl living there, killed her and every single person in the house, including a baby, then set the house on fire. This attack had been planned out in advance.
This story made me cry. It made me feel that life in such a world is not even worth living.
The World Mother appeared to me in a vision. This woman, this mother figure, appeared in my sketchbook as I was drawing, with the title "Weeping for the World."
She is weeping for all her children, cradling the Earth in her arms. She has created beautiful life, and yet her children cruelly destroy and ravage each other and everything on Earth.
The image of the World Mother has evolved. Her tears are gone and she watches over the Earth with serene and peaceful blessings.
I know that she was created out of pain and darkness. I have made her into a healing and hopeful image, because I choose to shine a light in dark times. I want to show the potential of peace.
CD cover for Cyclub
I am amazed by the responses I receive from people, when they see the World Mother. They are seeing something that they recognize in their own heart.
Since I have painted the World Mother, I have made many connections with people, all over the world. This image, that I re-created to show Japan, is now the cover for Cyclub's CD, "Shining in Da Sun." The music on this CD was inspired by, and created for, Japan, after 2011's earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster.
The World Mother has truly changed me. Her appearance in my life was a true turning point that led me out of that dark place, into a path of hope. Since I painted this image, I have discovered that she is an archetype of Gaia, Mother Earth. I see her in images of the Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Guadelupe and works by many other artists.
My own personal World Mother continues to travel across the Earth and inspire people to cherish and hold sacred everything that is important to us.
I wish you and your family many, many blessings on this Earth Day 2012!
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