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December 14, 2007
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:icontarkheki:
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. :heart:

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.
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:iconmiyoirane:
='D Really? It didn't sound corny? -sigh of relief-

And what's this "I'm just glad you liked the image" business? Who wouldn't like it? All your work is beautiful! Anyone who says otherwise has something wrong with their head.
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:icondarthkarnage:
wish I got visionsI mostly only get the odd shadow of a vision
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:iconalexandreafr:
A very beautiful work. Amazing !
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:iconj-cleo:
Wow. That's a really smooth-looking shading. Amazing. Out of curiosity, how often do you get these visions?
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:icontarkheki:
I really can't tag a time on them. They come whenever they have to cone. More in the Autumn and Winter though. :heart:
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:iconbayonet-alchemist:
Thats pretty awesome, I read the whole description~
I really like the two jaguar's heads <3
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:iconpolystyrenex:
Wow! That is awesome ^_^
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:iconulquiorrajaggerjack:
Oh, you know what? You should do something with Grimmjow's hollow form with Aztec style drawing! I think that would be pretty awesome! And great job on this piece as well!!
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:iconxeloten-xelet:
beautiful work as always.

I think every culture has stories of good/evil and with characters who are both. it is just every culture has different views of what good/evil are.

I also think you are generalizing to much when you say European desendants because I know MANY native desendants who also have the exact same attitude. biology does not determine any ones beliefs and I believe that this attitude you speak of comes more from religion then from desendants of europe.
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:icontarkheki:
Again, you have pointed out a general lack of articulation I have- what I meant by "descendants of Europe" was the cultural acceptance in their societies which were rigid black-and-white (for example, Wasco has been depicted in legend as both supernatural good creature, and supernaturally bad creature. Raven is wicked and greedy- but the outcome of his actions bring about the worldly order of things. a case of situational objectiveness, not a common label). This wasn't prominent in Native cultures until contact WITH the Europeans- and their integration into the general culture brought with them (this, even in the way they Natives treated the European settlers- old Hollywood BS of both sides being enemies form the first beginning is a falsehood to the amount of help and will these poeple had to help the new-settlers adapt- even after injustice was done to them).
Culturally speaking, the Europeans were culturally set into their religious beliefs, and their pre-religious dominant culture was also very oriented to archetypal belief systems (spiritually speaking). My mother, for example, is not Christian, yet her rearing in Eastern European culture made her an obvious example of this kind of mentality- she and another European of any religious decent share the same outlooks on various topics labeled "good" or "bad".
Again, it IS true that there are exceptions to the rule, and I make the statement at the obvious larger-scale who has dominated the presence in history and modern day era. Sitting around the Sharing Circle out here (I'm back home in Toronto) with various cultures (across Canada Bands, as well as foreign ones), the spiritual teachings, stories, and sentiments of the Elders are a consensuses of just that "rule" (the Rule Of Balance, or The Rule of Equality), while that concept in European culture is very one sided to Social Acceptance.
Again, as you said, I do make a general statement, but I'm illustrating the larger dominant majority. Had they [Europeans of the conquest era] been a little less jagged and one sided, we wouldn't be in the situation we are in today.

P.S. I remember that there was something I had to find for you when I was out here. It was a drawing of some sort, because I remember I said I would look for my first Wolf and Wolverine image that I drew.. but I don't remember what it was that I had to search for you... do you remember?
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