Elephant Spirit

Sunday, January 25th, 2015

About a month ago, I was on the mend from a serious car accident – and a month away from a gallery opening showing new work that I had not begun to create.  I began to gear up to create this new body of art work, hobbling around on a walker with a broken ankle and cracked sternum. One night just after I had started painting for the show, I had a powerful dream, in which a magnificent elephant appeared, hovering over me. I was moved to tears. I had the wonderful sense of belonging and returning home.   I felt an incredibly strong heart connection with this being who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. When I entered my art studio the next morning, I felt compelled to paint the elephant spirit who had visited me in dreamtime. As I picked up my brushes and approached the large canvas, I found myself falling into a light trance. The energy of the elephant began coming through my brush strokes automatically, speaking to me in images and color.

The idea of painting elephants was something that had never entered my mind before and I would have said not my subject matter. For the last several years all of my paintings had been about energetic experience and the winged beings in the Andes. Yet the elephant spirit was seriously  demanding my attention.

The painting of the elephant (above) became the largest painting I had ever created (5′ x 6′),  and became a central figure in the show. The night the show opened two different people were moved by the energy in the painting and wanted to bring it into their homes so now I have been commissioned – with the elephant’s help – to create a second elephant painting as the elephant continues to expand its voice.

I don’t believe I facilitated this on my own – it is definitely an expression of something larger than me. Over the last weeks, the energy of the elephant has been growing in my mesa. I have begun to experience the elephant as a great protector, a powerful force that  entered my world at a time when I was depleted and in need of strong protection.

The numinous connection with the elephant spirit has reminded me that “otherworld connection” takes us where we need to go. Trying to adhere to specific ritual techniques to achieve connection is not always where the action is and it does not always bring us into relationship with spirit.  I believe we each need to open ourselves through our own individual spiritual connection – in whatever light form it takes. The spirit world has a grace and consciousness of its own. There are no absolute recipes.  By listening with open hearts, minds and bodies, our relationship with the spirit world can continue to thrive and deepen.

 “The painting will be at Spark Gallery until Feb. 15.  The gallery is opened from Thursday through Sunday and these are the hours: Thrs. 12-5; Fri.12-9, Sat: 12-5, Sunday, 1-4.  First Friday of the month, Feb.6, they’ll be opened from 6 to 11pm.  I will stop often to see it.  For some reason I can’t explain, it’s a very healing piece for me; it touches my soul and makes me at ease in the middle of the craziness of this world we live in.  No conventional God or churchy babble does that.  As I neared the place where the painting was, it was like I had met an old friend, my best integrated Self.  It brought a smile of recognition to my face.” Carmen

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