The Connection between Water, The Lovers, and My Latest Painting

In my newest painting I find myself once again diving into the theme of water.  

Ever more fascinated with geometry in my work, this piece decided to speak to me in triangles.  I got curious as to their spiritual meaning, and discovered triangles represent divine power, balance, and the number three.

Right off the bat that made me smile.  My Soul Card in the Tarot is "The Empress", who just happens to be the number... you guessed it... three.  She winked at me from the three wooden posts next to the pool, running through the center of my painting.

The symbol of divine power spoke to me as well.  I've been focusing a lot on stepping into my power, and perhaps the triangles took notice and were mirroring that.

The idea of balance didn't come to me until I signed the painting, and impulsively decided to add a waxing crescent moon to the scene, all just hours before I left for an event with the painting!  I had pulled the Lovers Card and The Fool Card that morning and it suddenly hit me like a bolt of lightning.

The pool was reflecting the union of the masculine, in the form of the stream from the hose, and the feminine, in the form of the vessel receiving the flow.  They integrate, coming together in sacred balance, which is the essence of The Lovers.  And the number of The Lovers Card in the Tarot?  Six.  Notice the six poles running through the center of the pool!  I can't make this stuff up!  I laughed with sheer delight.
 

And let's top it all off with a waxing crescent moon as a witness to this integration.  New Beginnings. The Fool in the Tarot.  Have I ever mentioned I was born under a waxing crescent?  Perhaps this painting marks a new level in my understanding of the Lovers.  I call this piece "The Pulse of Life", and it's 40"x30", Acrylic on Canvas, c2025

This pool actually exists, by the way, and here's a little video of me taking a swim at this magical place, namely the Restaurante Flamingos, in La Barrita, Guerrero, Mexico.  Click below to view a twenty second video. To view the video on Instagram, along with other reels of my work, click  here.

I hope this post gives you a little insight into my process, and helps to explain how each painting is born of my own personal journeys, both inward and outward.  Perhaps it can inspire you in some way as well.  

With Love and Light,

Linda

The Connection between the Moon, Fear and Shadow Work in my Art

This morning "The Moon" card was at the top of my Tarot Spread, and some insights came to me about my work, starting with one of my most recent paintings "Moonlight Portal".

I was first interested in this night scene about a year ago, drawn to the architecture, the colors, and the challenge to try a nocturne.  I took some photos.  About ten months later, in August of this year, I decided to paint the scene and had the opportunity to visit this pool again.  I started the piece in my studio, and then took it with me to the location to continue the work.  It happened to be the week of the full moon, and I instantly knew I had to include the moon in my painting.  

It was very hot that week... actually 111 degrees at night.  Floating on my back under the moon and the stars, cradled by the water while the wind rustled the palms, it felt safe to tap more deeply into my subconscious.

I was compelled to place the moon between the two palms in my piece, and suddenly noticed that my painting was creating a pathway, a portal.  What struck me this morning is that in the Rider Waite deck, Pixie Smith did much the same with "The Moon" card by placing the moon between two towers or pillars.  In both cases we are being invited into the darkness to face our shadows, examining our fears, shame, and regret, so we can embrace and heal them under the calming presence of the moon.

My sun sign is Cancer, who is ruled by the Moon, and this is definitely not the first time the moon has appeared in my work. 

Another piece comes to mind that I painted in 2022 called "I Face My Shadows with an Open Heart".   I painted this at a time when I was knee deep in my own darkness, triggered by a spiritual awakening in 2020.  One of the final pieces in my Mermaid series, I depicted her with her heart chakra open wide, much the same way mine always seems to look when I have my aura report done at psychic faires.  Surrounded by the butterflies of transformation, along with all the phases of the moon, she is open and willing to look at the less than pretty parts of herself, to embrace them and better understand them, so that they no longer control her.  

By doing this deep work, we learn to come more from trust, and less from fear.

And on that note, I'll leave you with one more piece, which is a Milagro necklace that I created this year on the very same theme. 

I call this necklace "I'm Stepping Fearlessly into the Unknown". The pearls represent the moon, giving us the calm courage to embrace each situation, while the leg Milagros (Milagro meaning "miracle" in Spanish) serve as a reminder to walk in faith, knowing that everything is not only going to be just fine, but even better than we can even imagine.

It delights me that I can express the path I'm on myself through my art, and it's my hope that it can continue to inspire you in some way as well.

With Love and Light,

Linda

"The Four Agreements" and The Seven of Swords

For the past two years or so, I've pulled eight Tarot cards every morning and then journaled about how they may be giving me insight and direction.  One of the cards that I pulled this morning was the "Seven of Swords", which comes up often enough for me to do an ever deeper dive to understand what it's trying to tell me.

In a Tarot class a couple of years back, my teacher called this card "Sneaky Pete".  It is frequently linked to deception, and at first glance my mind goes to "Ok, who's trying to deceive me?"... mostly a knee jerk reaction, I think, because it's always so much easier and more comfortable to pin it on someone else than to look within.

Most recently I've discovered several Tarot teachers who talk more about how this card speaks to our own self deception, with the swords representing the unconscious beliefs that we carry that are formed in childhood.  Perhaps it's reminding us to choose carefully which beliefs we still want to carry with us, and which no longer or never really served us.

After pulling my cards this morning, I felt the need to re-read some pages from "The Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz.  On page 22 he says,  "If we can see it is our agreements which rule our life, and we don't like the dream of our life, we need to change the agreements."   

I can totally relate this to the Seven of Swords!  In this quote Don Miguel refers to the deep seated childhood beliefs we form as our "agreements".  In Tarot the suit of Swords is related to the mind.  Both the passage and card are getting at the same thing, I think.

It's in leaving behind the old beliefs that no longer serve us, and to take a step further, changing them to the beliefs we wish to carry to create our new reality, where the real growth and healing occur.  This insight reminded me once again about how much I love the Tarot, and how its lessons so often intertwine with so many other systems, including astrology, numerology and philosophy.

Wishing you all a most beautiful, peaceful, and insightful day.

With Love and Light,

Linda