Inspiration
When I get visions, they usually come about in very random moments.
This one- for example- was one that came to me as I was saying the Shabbat Prayer when lighting my Shabbat candles. I remember quite clearly how I was in the middle of the verse when I was struck with this image. It seemed to consolidate clearly as I kept going in my talking.
When being taught about visions, I was also taught how to manage them. Meaning, what I should do in order to let them prevail in front of me without startling the moment away- as most people often do. The result is; I seem to think I am continuing to do what I was doing all along, but only after it [the vision] dissipates, I realize I am just standing/sitting there staring strait ahead of me frozen, thinking that I was doing something that in truth, I wasn't.
After this image consolidated in front of me, and began to move, the dancer finished dancing, and the sun and the moon engulfed one another, and I forgot what I was doing, but noticed that there was a laps of time of about 10 minutes.
About the image
This is Tepeyollotl. Heart of the Mountain, Lord of Echos, and the Jaguar god.
Often in Aztec and other various South American Native Myth, The Jaguar is found being the ever-so-eclectic mix and contradicting opposite as is every animal in Various Native lore (once again illustrating that by their mentality/comprehension/understanding of the way of things, nothing is tagged "good" or "evil" because those things are situational and/or misinterpreted by bias of a certain individual. European descendants have a notorious habit of tagging "Good" and "Evil" with clear distinction without any second thought).
Sometimes, Jaguar comes out of the Jungle to play with the Native Children (anyone else get an adorable mental image of Grimmjow here?), other times, he is a cruel fierce predator that demands blood of human kind with no end to killing and sacrifice.
The Jaguar is also known for a concept called "The Jaguar's Sun". It's a concept that describes both a physical and spiritual, as well as social concept- it's symbolized by the Myth that the Jaguar guards the Path to the Sun [at night], and continuously rages in battle with the Eagle for supremacy (Day comes and the night flees- The Eagle always Wins).
In the background you will notice that I have illustrated 2 types of plants- The Cacao Plant, and Maguey (agave) plant- both make traditional - and what is considered to be two very spiritually powerful and- sacred drinks. While the plants themselves were associated with other Gods, they were in the vision, and clearly were making a statement about the high-rank of Tepeyollotl.
Medium: Pencil on Black Paper.
P.S. The 2 Jaguar heads at the top are not supposed to be aligned. Please don't tell me they aren't, I'm fully aware of that- they aren't meant to BE aligned.
Would you ever consider making prints of this (outside of dA, or not)? Throughout my life, most of my totems have always been feline, but I never knew Jaguar. Until two days ago. And now I just synchronistically came upon your piece once more, so I knew I had to ask. I favourite this so long ago, and it seems to have a permanent little niche somewhere in my mind, and pops up from time to time.. I resonate with your art, and I'd really like to have this on my wall someday.
Hello! While I do tend to print images offline, there are some I do not due to their specific cultural connections and me trying to avoid their misuse. While the concept of "Totems" is a New Age one, it has no correlation to what the First Nations actually believe in. The word "Totem" [Properly pronounced "Dodem" with a hard "d"] is the Anishinabeh word that means "Clan" and it refers to a family lineage system that distinguishes people's genetic heritage to one another [like a last name] in the Eastern Algonquin Language groups. The use of animals and plant symbols became correlated from their Oral Traditions. While in New Age, this means a "guardian spirits animal" or places anthropomorphic traits on animals and people counterparts, it plays little to no place in First Nations culture [in this understanding]. Second, this image is based off Aztec Oral Tradition and culture, and therefor not correlated to "Dodems" , but Toels- and therefor a very distinct different historical and ritualistic cultural aspect to a very different peoples than the Anishinabeh.
While I'm humbled by your patronage, and truly grateful for the vote of confidence, these misconceptions are the reason I do not make all my art available for purchase. As I work and dwell within First Nations communities, I have to uphold a certain understanding of their culture, and am responsible for any and all work, information, and art I put out there.
I hope this explains why I never released this piece for purchase, and do hope you understand.
I do! And thank you for the information, I really appreciate it. I wish I were more informed on these matters, so thank you for educating me a little. I completely understand your position. :]
While I do tend to print images offline, there are some I do not due to their specific cultural connections and me trying to avoid their misuse.
While the concept of "Totems" is a New Age one, it has no correlation to what the First Nations actually believe in. The word "Totem" [Properly pronounced "Dodem" with a hard "d"] is the Anishinabeh word that means "Clan" and it refers to a family lineage system that distinguishes people's genetic heritage to one another [like a last name] in the Eastern Algonquin Language groups. The use of animals and plant symbols became correlated from their Oral Traditions. While in New Age, this means a "guardian spirits animal" or places anthropomorphic traits on animals and people counterparts, it plays little to no place in First Nations culture [in this understanding].
Second, this image is based off Aztec Oral Tradition and culture, and therefor not correlated to "Dodems" , but Toels- and therefor a very distinct different historical and ritualistic cultural aspect to a very different peoples than the Anishinabeh.
While I'm humbled by your patronage, and truly grateful for the vote of confidence, these misconceptions are the reason I do not make all my art available for purchase. As I work and dwell within First Nations communities, I have to uphold a certain understanding of their culture, and am responsible for any and all work, information, and art I put out there.
I hope this explains why I never released this piece for purchase, and do hope you understand.
Instead I'm going to fave this, and keep staring at it for a few more hours, until I'm mostly sure I've picked out all the details. . . . So pretty. .