Creating 'Path Fulfilled' was a collaboration with the spirit of a mare named Kaylaa. As an artist, I am privileged to experience insights and visions of the essence of horses, and in Kaylaa, I found a humble yet powerful soul who had endured much physical suffering due to laminitis. I set out to ask for a vision of her spirit story to create her Soul Essence Portrait for her person and to ask for healing guidance for her spirit.
Timeless Insights
In a shamanic journey, I had a vision of Kaylaa as an Afghan horse tasked with carrying her rider to deliver a message to a distant tribe. But in her journey, she faced sabotage and loss. Unfamiliar hands took her halter, what she carried was taken, and her tribal saddle cloth and identity were stripped away. From Kaylaa I felt a sense of loss at being unable to accomplish her task.
I felt Kaylaa needed to believe that she had accomplished her task. In the vision, I created a new experience for her. I asked if Kaylaa could receive wisdom from an animal totem. A guide appeared, in the form of a Carrier Pigeon. I immediately recognized this was the perfect energy to help her realize her goal. I envisioned her crossing the desert successfully and delivering her message in triumph. A great crowd gathered and called out greetings in ululations of celebration and pride. Though weary from her journey, she trotted with pride and confidence with a gift from the tribe—an empowering cross-in-circle talisman, around her neck.
In my paintings, when elements and insights appear I seek to understand the cultural and historical symbolism. I researched Afghan horse cultures and I discovered a reference to a tribe called the Uzbek or Lakai. The Lakai culture was intensely focused on horses and horse breeding. I created a traditional ‘Da-our’ saddle cloth design, adding an authentic touch to the border of Kaylaa’s painting.
I learned that In the Celtic world and sometimes in the near East, the cross-in-circle was meant to stress that it is ‘this world’ to which we are to return. I felt this guidance could be relevant to Kaylaa’s soul path and her current health challenges.
Each stroke of my pastels made my visions tangible. My task was to weave the energetic threads from another time into this time - to bring forth the symbolic guidance and to channel Kayla's vision of her vitality in colors and forms, with every detail lovingly expressed, even down to each stitch on the saddle cloth.
This process of creation allowed me to reflect on the fluidity of time and the interconnectedness of all things, as Kaylaa's journey spoke to other teachings I have encountered from authors such as Richard Bach and Jane Roberts, who speak of time as a network of interwoven relationships and that what we perceive of as “past” and “future” and “now” are all relative. Through Kaylaa's story, I was reminded of the power of the ability to envision the path not traveled. even after we have experienced what we think of as the only outcome.
Creating ‘Path Fulfilled’ also allowed me to reflect upon what appeared to be the horse’s view of her past and present identity as influenced by humans. At every turn and crossroad through history and culture, we find the horse has been there too. The horse is our constant companion, an enduring source of guidance and wisdom, and through Kaylaa, I was once again humbled by the layers of meaning for her, and us all.
'Path Fulfilled' is a tribute to the timeless bond between humankind and equine. It takes us on a journey through history, tracing the paths where horses have left their indelible hoof prints in our our hearts. We are transported to eras where horses were not just transportation or tools of conquest, but loyal companions and symbols of courage and strength. Their presence offers us a new path toward self-discovery and understanding. In their wise and gentle gaze, we find unspoken lessons. Their profound honesty has the power to change our lives. In this new understanding of the role horses have chosen to play, we are learning that instead of taking hold of the reins, all we need to do is walk in their footsteps in our quest to embody their wisdom.
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