In October, I skipped sharing a Sculpture of the Month with you because I had a lot going on! Here in Santa Cruz, I opened the gate to my garden for Open Studios and sold two sculptures, including fan favorite Bird of Pray, as well as several framed sketches and copies of my new book.
Also, my wife and I hosted a book launch gathering in our backyard for our close friend Jim Lee’s new collection of poetry: Don’t Forget I’m Here.
Then, at the start of this month, the dumbfounding results of our national elections overwhelmed both my wife and myself.
However, now I return with a recent sculpture, also recently named, which seems to somehow address the set of our nation’s (and perhaps the world’s) course upon a path of drastic realignment. See my SOM from August for more on that.
Sacred Offering: A Prayer for Peace
This sculpture depicts a Native American shaman conducting a ritual of prayer. He holds a peace dove in one hand and emits an ephemeral prophecy from the finger of his other.
I found this Cherokee Prayer that invokes both peace and resilience and can also help to address the present antagonisms that motivate us as a species:
Cherokee Prayer
Peace and happiness are available in every moment.
Peace is every step. We shall walk hand in hand.
There are no political solutions to spiritual problems.
Remember: If the Creator put it there, it is in the right place.
The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
Tell your people that, since we were promised we should never be moved,
we have been moved five times.
Found on: https://www.sapphyr.net/natam/
In the background of The Sacred Offering – A Prayer for Peace, a mysterious dragon nudges the shaman.
Japanese culture gives dragons a very special place. They’re revered as the benefactors and protectors of humankind – powerful and wise guardians that shield us from universal dangers and impart their wisdom to guide us to our best futures.
A friend of mine who lived in Japan for many years once told me that, according to lore, dragons emerge from earthquake cracks to bring new insights into the world. Although I could not verify her assertion, I did find tales of dragons lying at the bottom of deep water bodies and emerging to help humanity when needed.
Thus, whether from the depths of the earth or the waters, dragons come as guides to a better future.
So this sculpture offers both a prayer and a prediction for peace and harmony after we pass through a dissonant present, which is in some moments depressing, and at other times frightening.
However, as the “Cherokee Prayer” reminds us, our problems are more spiritual than political. And the beneficent dragon arrives as a blessing for the positive future that will emerge from our spiritual depths.
