Full Spectrum Healing Illustrating The Jade Oracle Deck Using Rainbow Colors by Ramona Snow Teo

Creativity, Culture, Divination, Goddess, Jade Oracle, Mexico

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For those who have spent significant time studying the art of Pre-Columbian Mexico, you may find it a bit surprising to see every color of the rainbow expressed in The Jade Oracle divination deck. My reasoning for breaking the rules and stepping away from the traditional palette at this juncture, is because of my own deep connection with color as a magical and healing tool. Receiving the wonderful opportunity to illustrate this oracle deck of ancient Mexican deities meant that I had to bring my best to the table. Vibrant color has always been a significant trait in my artwork, so I felt I couldn’t hold that back now.

Traditional artwork from ancient Mexico typically used a limited palette that commonly featured shades of red, yellow, black & white. The typical colors used in murals and codices reflected the natural pigments and dyes that were available from the land. Tiny coccid insects who flourish near prickly pear cactus were boiled, dried and crushed to powder to produce brilliant crimson dye. Genipa seeds were used to produce the color black, a technique probably learned from the Mayans. Yellow pigment was derived from a variety of cuscuta plants that are common in Mexico, North America & Central America. Variations in the hue resulted from harvesting the plants at different ages. White was made from ground, heated limestone chalk.

Our team, Anne Key, Veronica Iglesias and myself, went through tremendous effort to make The Jade Oracle as historically accurate as possible. Everything has been meticulously researched to provide a truthful representation of the ancient Mexican culture. So why didn’t I color all of the images exactly like their original counterparts found in ancient codices, murals and statues? I felt like upgrading the colors would help each design to communicate its meaning more clearly. Whether we are aware of it or not, humans are wired to respond to color. It catches our eye and it evokes emotion within us. I was initially a bit worried about how the deck would function if the majority of the cards were colored in red, black & yellow. To the modern, untrained eye, the strange ornately detailed cartoon-like Aztec deities would begin to all look the same. I wanted each card to bring out an immediate unique feeling-response when viewed. Color seemed to be the most obvious way to help each card stand out. So after a bit of back and forth with my teammates, we agreed that a bit of creative freedom in the color choices would be useful – and of course beautiful!

Color has been known to have beneficial healing properties around the world for thousands of years. It can be used to bring harmony to the mind and body. Red, orange, yellow and brown are warm colors. They are generally uplifting, motivating and speed up circulation. Violet, blue and green are cool colors. They soothe, tranquilize and assist with diseases of the eyes, ears, nose and throat. Blue light is used to heal newborn babies with jaundice, prisons are painted pink because the color has been known to encourage a docile and obedient attitude, and warm yellows and oranges are used to light rooms for elderly patients with vision problems to help them focus better. Green encourages growth, renewal, equilibrium and circulatory health. I have always been deeply moved by color and as my artistic journey unfolds I am discovering that it is part of my soul’s mission to perpetuate the full spectrum of the rainbow which will bring balance, healing and inspiration to all who gaze upon these colors.

A few of my favorites from The Jade Oracle deck that really demonstrate my intentional deviations in color are Cuauhtli, Tlaltecuhtli & Tecuciztecatl.

Cuauhtli is the Eagle, who soars high above the Earth and enjoys a heightened perspective on reality. From way up there he clearly sees what his heart truly wants. I chose to color him in purple, a color seldom seen in ancient Mexican art. I felt that this color lended the Eagle an air of royalty and greatness. In the ascending colors of the chakras, purple or violet is the uppermost color, associated with wisdom, enlightenment and spirituality. To me these qualities fit the Eagle and I couldn’t picture him in any other hue.

Tlaltecuhtli is the Spirit of the Earth. The original monolith which her image was discovered at the Templo Mayor. It is an intricate stone carving measuring about 13 by 12 feet and weighing about 12 tons. Tlaltecuhtli is the embodiment of the land, often pictured in birth-giving posture, she represents the fearlessness of mother nature, earthquakes, cycles and regeneration. While the stone sculpture is in natural earthy hues of yellow, ochre and white – I chose to color her in blue, green and brown. I felt like she should look like the planet Earth as seen from space, a massive orb of water and land. Though the color appears drastically different from the original, I am totally in love with the resulting colors and earthy feelings Tlaltecuhtli evokes in this card.

Tecuciztecatl, or The Man of the Big Shell, is another unconventional card as far as color choices. I colored him with pale rainbow colors. His story is part of the creation story of the current age. Each deity must give offerings to the fire. Tecuciztecatl offers to sacrifice himself, but lacks the courage to follow through. It takes him four tries before he overcomes his cowardice and enters the fire. It is a card urging you to stop holding back from embodying your highest self. Symbolically, the rainbow spectrum is the full expression of the highest self. I colored him as a pale, washed-out version of the rainbow because it shows how he is holding back his true vibrance.

In conclusion, I hope that scholars, historians and descendants of the ancient Mexican people can forgive me for straying from tradition when coloring The Jade Oracle deck. And I hope the students, seekers, and open-minded card readers will appreciate my unique creative version of this collection of deities and symbols. I hope these images speak to you in a deep emotional and spiritual language, helping you to connect with divine guidance and ancient wisdom. The Jade Oracle is a new path to the sacred, a bridge between distant history and modern spirituality.

Lastly, for those who want to engage further with color possibilities of The Jade Oracle deck, we have created a coloring book with the images! It includes all 52 drawings with interpretations. It is printed on a heavyweight cardstock paper so after you color it, you can cut it out and create your own deck of oracle cards. With this amazing project, you can explore your own relationship with color and the intricate details of these deities. The result will be an extremely powerful oracle deck that you have your own sacred connection with!

Coloring Book Blog

Coloring books are available now on etsy.com/shop/divinenaturearts

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Ramona Snow Teo was born and raised in New Mexico, “The Land of Enchantment” where the diverse culture and thriving arts community has inspired her to explore her creative calling. She earned her Bachelor of Art’s Degree at the University of New Mexico in the Cinematic Arts Department with a focus on Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Art & History. Her passions include painting, drawing, clothing design, jewelry making, graphic design, experimental filmmaking and belly dance. Always the creative entrepreneur, Ramona started Guerrilla Graphix (original art t-shirts, custom design and printing services) with her father in 2008 and Divine Nature Arts (her personal brand of clothing, jewelry & sacred art) in 2015. A constant theme in Ramona’s artwork is sacred geometry and the mandala. In 2015 she became a certified Mandala Facilitator and guides workshops on healing with mandalas. In 2017 she completed the illustrations for The Jade Oracle Deck: Deities & Symbols of Ancient Mexico. Ramona is currently a stay at home mother of two (Zena, 11/5/15 and Rafael 2/1/17) and vends her art at festivals and the local farmers markets on the weekends.

etsy.com/shop/divinenaturearts

DivineNatureArts.com

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Your Intuition Isn’t Broken by Maura McCarley Torkildson

Classes, contemplation, Creativity, Goddess, Intuition, Learning

forest fairy shaman with panflute and crystal, detailed colorful illustration.

When the conversation about intuition comes up, do you find yourself comparing your intuition to other people and come up feeling less than? I know how disappointing that can be. Let me say first, comparison is rarely helpful. Let me also say, there is also nothing wrong with your intuition. It is not broken. It may be that you have not yet discovered your potential.

There are a number of reasons why your intuition may not be working for you. I want to encourage you to consider the following common issues before you give up on it or determine you are lacking in this area.

You Don’t Understand Your Clair Ability

You haven’t discovered your intuitive modality. I call these The Clairs – like clairvoyance for instance. Did you know there was more than one? I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t. For some reason our culture has latched onto clairvoyance (visions) as the psychic skill. Second in line of course is clairaudience (hearing voices). All the others get left in the dust. I happen to be primarily clairsentient (I feel other’s feelings) and claircognizant (knowing). There is also clairgustance(smell). I’ve even coined the term clair-creativity in my upcoming book on intuition, because the first intuitive skills I recognized showed up in my art work.

Your Intuition doesn’t Meet Your Expectations

Your intuition doesn’t look like you expect it to. We all get ideas about intuitive powers from TV and the movies. The problem is that movies tend to over -dramatize – you know, the psychic character gets completely taken over by her vision or it shows up like a technicolor screen across the sky. Well, yes, they have to portray inner visions creatively, it is art after all and special effects make a movie fun to watch. However, this can be misleading, and even though we know its fiction, we still believe it on some level. The truth is it often takes getting quiet to receive messages and we have to understand how they are coming in. That can be difficult when the mental hamster wheel is on overdrive. And if we are expecting things to show up one way, we often disregard the way they do show up.

It Could Be Your Ego Attachments

I am going to be frank here. Your ego may be in the way. I’ve seen this one occur with a lot of people, myself included. I would say this was my primary block until I worked through it and it can still catch me off guard. When the ego really wants something, it will find ways to confirm what it wants, including using intuition. Then, when things don’t turn out as expected, we learn to distrust our “intuition” (which it wasn’t in the first place). In order intuition to be effective, discernment is a must. If you haven’t done your psychological and emotional work, it makes interpreting your intuition very difficult. We can let fear and ego spin us into denial and the real messages just don’t get through.

You Just Don’t Believe It’s Real

You may believe your intuition is “just” your imagination. Do you have weird visions pop up, or your inner voices come up with something totally out of context? We all have been influenced by culture to believe that whatever is going on inside us isn’t quite real because it can’t be proven. It takes a bit of skill to be able to distinguish between making something out of our inner experience (ego) and allowing the observer self to be aware without judgment, but this skill can be developed. Your Innerverse IS real. It may not be as verifiable as what you can corroborate with others, but that does not make it less that real. Think about it this way, do you experience an inner world? If you experience it, it exists. It may not be tangible, but that does not mean it doesn’t exist. For myself, if my inner experience is meaningful to me (like feeling the presence of my deceased father), that is what matters. I don’t need to prove everything in court.

Ultimately trust is the key to a strong intuition. Like any relationship, trust takes time and experience to grow. Learning to know and trust your inner guidance is a journey, not a destination. On this journey it is also important to realize you will never be 100% accurate in your interpretation. Let go that expectation, no one is ever that accurate, even the best. The following are keys to building relationships, including your relationship with your intuition. Trust grows in relationships when commitment is present and curiosity leads. Commitment is the will to stick with it even when the going is tough. Commitment cultivates resilience and confidence. Curiosity is the opposite of judgment. It creates safe ground to explore, to learn and to deepen. It allows you to see what is there and find joy in the unfolding mystery.

Some Tips for Your Journey

If you approach intuition with a fixed mindset (some people are gifted, others are not) you aren’t likely to give yourself a chance to evolve. This is the fallacy of how psychic skills are portrayed in popular culture – some few special people are gifted and others are not. What this myth obscures is the reality that the masters were validated for their skill at some point and worked hard at perfecting them. In my journey, it was only when I risked being wrong and communicated my hunches that I received the validation I needed to hone my skills and begin to trust my intuition.

There is nothing like the need to be right to get in the way. Performance anxiety blocks your intuitive flow. When you need to be right, you will constantly second guess yourself. You allow fear to be the driving factor. Letting go the need to be right opens the channels. Intuition is the gift of your Divine roots (what I call the Inner Tree). It is about connecting to Source. The need to be right is the province of your ego. When a hunch doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean your intuition is broken. It just means you are still learning how to connect. You do have it within your capacity to do that. Lighten up, let go and play with it.

Take up an awareness practice. Tune into your body. Your body is a magical vehicle for acute awareness, but only if we use it. How often do you pause and really feel your body? Do you notice the entire surface of your feet on the ground? Have you explored the exquisite sensitivity of your fingertips? Do you ever tune into the energetic field around your heart? Do this without expectation. Do it daily, whenever you can remember. Just notice what is present. You will be amazed.

Most importantly, start by dropping the story that yours is broken. That story isn’t serving you. When I let go that same story and began cultivating my inner world, I learned to trust myself, my unique gifts and I continue to grow and expand my intuitive repertoire and use it regularly in service to my clients. I know it is possible for you too if you desire and that is why I support women to trust their inner resources.

Want to learn to trust your intuition? Check out my Inner Tree Courses on www.mysteryschoolofthegoddess.com

Maura McCarley Torkildson is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, Author and Priestess of Silence (Sige). She received her MA in Women’s Spirituality from New College of California January 2000.

Her first book The Curious Magic of Buckeye Groves was published in 2014 and her second book The Inner Tree will be available in 2017. After receiving her MA, Maura studied with the Mystic Peter Kingsley for 5 years and then went on to get her coaching certification. She opened her coaching practice in 2014.

She is a life long devotee and student of the Divine Feminine and dreams of empowering all women to trust themselves and their inner wisdom to bring the world back into balance again.

You can find her at Maura Torkildson Coaching.

Goddess Ink is your source for inspiration for the Divine Feminine. Find books, classes and sacred tours to feed your soul. For more information and to follow Goddess Ink Blog visit www.goddess-ink.com or visit us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/goddessinkbooks/. Also, please sign up for the Goddess Ink Newsletter for a monthly dose of inspiration.

Good News and Learning in the New Year

Classes, Compassion, Creativity, Divine, Empowerment, Goddess, Learning, Priestess, ritual

shutterstock_44937577 “Everyone has inside of her a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be, how much you can love, what you can accomplish, and what your potential is.” — Anne Frank

The good news is that we all have the potential to do wonderful things in our life. But if you are like me, you don’t always have the current capacity the know how or the tools to move to the next level. A couple of years ago I put myself on a financial literacy self learning program. I wanted to be able to communicate and understand my finances in a way that I did not have in my younger years. It was not easy. I bought books, signed up for courses, got email newsletters, even put together a presentation to a group, so I could feel comfortable discussing finances. Do have have the kind of expertise that an accountant, banker or financial planner has? No I do not. But I can sit in a discussion with them, and hold my own. I consider that a success.

Now, my focus is to bring myself into a level of ease and competence in the area of spirituality and spiritual leadership. I know I need the support of circles of women (which I fortunately have). I know I need my own daily spiritual practice, which I do. But I also need to to continue my learning, about spirituality, about spiritual leadership, about priestessing, about how to manifest the Divine in my life, in ritual and in my work. One way for me is to find on-line classes that guide me. One of my favorite resources is Kimberly Moore‘s http://themotherhouseofthegoddess.com/motherhouse-mystery-school-online-courses/. I have taken a number of courses, and am always pleased with the results! Molly Remer,from http://www.brigidsgrove.com/ has a wonderful course called the Goddess Magic Circle, that I highly recommend. Goddess Ink is offering some wonderful classes on Spiritual Leadership, including the Free Introduction to Priesting Course. If you are ready to Take the Plunge into Priestessing , this is an excellent course to develop your priestessing skills. If you are a Brigit devotee, Weaving the Protection of Bridgit by Jude Lally might be just what you need, or if you want to read and learn, check out our Brigit Anthology, Brigit Sun of Womanhood. For those of you with a yearning for more compassion in your life, Sandy Boucher and Kim Moore’s class on Kwan Yin could be just what you need.

The only thing better than education is more education.
— Progress to Freedom (1942) by Agnes E. Benedict, American educator,1889-1950

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On a personal note, I have my learning year mapped out. I have some personal growth courses, Kimberly Moore’s A Year of Sacred Living, some business courses and two photography courses….my learning year is full. I hope you will join me in learning and expanding your world!

Blessings,

Genevieve

Genevieve Mitchell is a Partner with Goddess Ink Publishing. She is a Priestess, a Seeker, a photo artist, a socially responsible investor, a mother, a grandmother and a devotee of God/Goddess/Divine/Spirit. You can contact her at genevieve@goddess-ink.com.

Photo credits: Shutterstock

On Being A Creation Woman by Kimberly Moore and Genevieve Mitchell

contemplation, Creativity, Divine, Empowerment, Goddess, Gratefulness, Priestess, ritual

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What does it mean to be a Creation Woman? What does it mean to take my creativity, open it up to Divine inspiration, stir in some excitement and adventure….and head in to 2017? Where can I find my creativity? When I find it…then what? I’m pleased, puzzled, grateful and baffled by the opportunities I have to be creative and impactful. I also pray that I make wise choices.

It’s the last week of 2016….what a year, personally, professionally, politically and providentially. As as Creation Women, women and men with the power to create the world in which we want to live, it’s time to honor that creative capacity. Creativity is the powerful flow from the universe, it’s the energetic force infusing our lives. This creative flow, comes from Source, and manifests as Divinity in all manner of our creations. Our own creative potential is evidence to me that God/Goddess/Source exist…because we manifest that creativity in the mystery of living and in the creation of art, music, dance, ideas….the building of amazing building, the collaborative efforts to solve world problems, the creation of new technology….

Creativity is everywhere! Let us celebrate it, honor it, and use it, to create a world where there is respect and honor for the Earth, humanity and all our relations to the seventh generations. So how can we use ourselves as Temples of Creativity? Kimberly Moore from MotherHouse of the Goddess and Mystery School of the Goddess, shares some profound and very timely observations. Thank you Kimberly!

“Breathe Me, Woman, into your head, your thoughts, your intentions.

Breathe Me, as I breathe you into Creation.

Breathe Me deep, Woman, into your womb, your throne. Lay me bare on

your heart, your altar.

Let us embrace as Sisters on our thrones of Creation.

Give Me your seeds and let us laugh over them, pour tears into them, hold silence unto them.

Let us set them gently onto our thrones, adorn them, infuse them.

Let us clasp our hands on our bellies and feel them growing, kicking, burgeoning.

And when the time is ripe and our thrones are bursting,

Let us crouch and moan and rock.

Let us birth these seeds grown strong with intention, with our beauty, with our secret Selves.

Give me your Creation – I am your Midwife. I am your throne. I am the receiving Earth.

Breathe Me, Woman. Breathe Us into Creation.

Creation Woman calls upon us to claim our thrones. Unite with our divine soul seeds, to unveil our life mission, fight for our heart’s desire, to “bleed” with purpose. She is not to be ignored and if done, can result in pathologies such as depression, anxiety, and even more serious illnesses.

This month, part of your sacred living work is to work on your Temple, your throne. Notice where it needs work. Adorn it. Breathe into it daily, mindfully, powerfully. In this, you are creating your reality, making healthy and vibrant the place that allows you to CREATE. “

~ Kimberly Moore

Kimberly F. Moore is a Creative Catalyst and Mentor for Women; Shakti-Powered Entrepreneur; Goddess Priestess; Blissful Revolutionary; Hungry Goddess (food writer); Writer; and Photographer. She offers coaching and online courses to promote the Everyday Sacred in women’s lives for personally and professionally.

Kimberly is offering her Year of Sacred Living http://mysteryschoolofthegoddess.net/2016/10/17/a-year-of-sacred-living-with-kimberly-f-moore-open/ where she shares a year of Living Deeply with the Sacred. The poem above is from her course.

She is the Founder of the MotherHouse of the Goddess and Mystery School of the Goddess. Kimberly has been a Goddess Priestess for more than 20 years. Her areas of research, practice, and teaching are focused on Goddess Spirituality, Comparative Mythology, Archetypal Psychology, and Ritual Practice. She has a special connection to the Goddesses from the Greek, Hindu and Yoruban traditions, but has worked with many other Goddesses through the years. She is also an Aborisha in the Lukumi tradition and a Daughter of Oshun. Kimberly lives in Delaware with her son, two kitties, surrounded by Goddess altars everywhere.

Genevieve Mitchell is a Partner with Goddess Ink Publishing. She is a Priestess, a Seeker, a Flower Essence Practitioner, a photographer, a socially responsible investor, a mother, a grandmother and a devotee of God/Goddess/Divine/Spirit. You can contact her at genevieve@goddess-ink.com.

Photo Credits: Top Photo by Kimberly Moore, bottom photo by Shutterstock.