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What if ... your life is and was a Mystery School? Make Things Know Thyself. Dwell in that possibility.
~ Lisa Rasmussen MFA |
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“What I am seeking is not the real. And not the unreal but rather the unconscious, the mystery of the instinctive in the human race.” ~Amedeo Modigliani Caol ‘Ait by Lisa Rasmussen MFA My MFA Thesis from the Holistic Studies Program at JFKU in Berkeley My art is a metaphysical journey of self -discovery. Ever since childhood I have been fascinated with the liminal ---- the neither here nor there, the betwixt or the in-between. I found the in-between to be a realm of pure possibility. During my eighteenth year, an event occurred that was paramount to my exploration. I was visiting friends and family in Wisconsin, the place where I was born, and I was involved in a serious car accident. I was knocked unconscious for around ten minutes. During that period of time, I floated far above myself. I gazed down at the scene peacefully and with curiosity. Through this passageway, I felt expansive. I instantly realized that I was not really unconscious, but that my being was occupying another realm. I felt the space I had entered was timeless and eternal. It was only when I witnessed two paramedics placing a halo around my head that my essence quickly shot back into my body and I slowly regained consciousness. Later, after speaking to my Mom, I realized that I had an out-ofbody experience. In the emergency room, I found out that part of my skull had been cracked, but that I would be ok. The doctors told me my life signs had begun to normalize. I eventually made a full recovery, but something inside me was awakened and my life would never be the same. My experience transformed me by concretizing my belief that consciousness is not limited to our physical being and that various liminal realities exist simultaneously in this incredible universe. The Bushmen of Southern Africa call this transformation the “Great Hunger.” This is not physical hunger, but a haunting hunger for meaning in one’s life. I soon developed a craving for mystical experiences within my own inner reality. My art transformed from being a mode of expressing my inner demons to an avenue of transformation, transcendence, and healing. I became deeply interested in the subjective and transformative powers I felt in the “in between” or altered states of consciousness. I discovered that my art and dreams were portals into my own self-exploration of the unknown. My ancestors, the ancient Celts, called this state “Caol ‘ait” (thin places) where the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds merge. Akin to the neo-shamanistic world of creativity as ritual and transformation I found that through my creative process I could pass through a type of threshold that allowed me to enter into a state of consciousness, where I could explore the interflow between time, space, and the eternal. As I continued to mature as an artist and a seeker, I developed a deep desire to travel to sacred sites and to study ancient cultures whose shamanistic worldviews encompassed a belief in a magical “other world” or “in between.” I was amazed at the archeological record, which showed that the ancients intuitively constructed places for ritual and worship that amplified the Earth’s energy. These “thin places” were potent portals into other realms of consciousness. In the book Overlay, art critic Lucy Lippard explores the relationship between contemporary art and prehistoric art. She states, “the ancient sites and images are talismans, aids to memory, outlets for the imagination, that cannot be owned--something seems to flow back to us through these places. The symbols in these sites are a synthesis of changing and multiple realities—both vehicles of several levels of reality and of several levels of communal need. The towering standing stone in the landscape seems not to dominate its surroundings but to coexist sensuously with them. It confirms the human need to touch, to hold, to make, in relationship to natural forces and phenomena.” (Lippard, 1983, pg 8.) Having visited many sacred sites around the globe, from Stonehenge to Machu Pucchi to Katmandu, it became very obvious to me that these sites are powerful manifestations of the symbiotic connection between nature and the inner realms of the ancients. As I gained more direct experience with these power spots around the Earth I became driven to use art to foster my own personal relationship to nature and the mysteries that reside within. Characteristics of My Work My art and process are inseparable from life. I began drawing at a very early age. I instantly become immersed in the fantastic worlds I could create and the feelings I could express through my art. I intuitively took up automatic drawing and was intrigued when my hand would seem to move by itself. Later, I began to draw my dreams and I was amazed by what the drawings revealed. My work continued to develop with my travels and studies. I became very comfortable just being a conduit and having creativity flow through me. I have come to believe that I am merely a channel for something greater than me that manifests through my art. As Paul Klee wrote, “the artist does nothing other than gather and pass on what comes to him from the depths. He neither serves nor rules ---- He transmits…. he is merely a channel.” Portals “Lisa’s sacred intentions are painted multi-dimensionally, making marks on canvases with ancient symbols, and then layering over with an image the viewer finally sees. The presence of the Earth Mother herself is felt sweeping to and fro on a ground of archaic ecstasy. “ -JJ Levine Evocative, and elemental in force, my portals or my visionary abstract paintings evoke notions of the Earth, blood, fire, and the Void (the Buddhist term Sunyata, meaning the emptiness of creation where all form ar ises). My work offers a glimpse into the slippery windowsill between stages of becoming and dissolving. It speaks of the sensual as well as the luminous darkness that is revealed in immutable mysteries. Through my art and its process I find myself in a continuous journey of discovery into both the sacred and shadowy realms of existence. When I paint, I feel like I am invoking the ancients who painted in caves and ritual chambers. I begin each painting with an intention. I embed an archetypal symbol such as a Nordic Cross or Hindi Deity into my work. I do this either through drawing the symbol or focusing on a photo of the archetype. Sometimes I begin my paintings with some of the students I teach. My intention for them is healing. I let several students create the foundation of the painting with a color field. At times, I create to the rhythm of nature’s cycles, or to the full moon or lunar eclipses. Music is imperative and intrinsic to my creative process. I often engage my sense of scent through incense and I create ambient light through candles. I create a visual language using acrylics and mixed media. I build up layers of transparency through color and gel mediums. I usually start with a color field. Then I use the chance element of water to create flowing and dripping paint, so that patterns emerge organically from the interplay of mediums. At times, I may add materials from nature. I also integrate var ious primordial marks and layers of symbols. Mark-making comes from my spontaneous and intuitive impulses, which take on many forms. It is akin to the art form of Sumi or Chinese ink brush, where the paint that flows from the brush becomes an extension of my chi or energy. Like Jackson Pollock, who flung large f ields of drips and swirling paint, I have the intention of making energy visible, thus demonstrating the infinite patterns of connectedness. Mark-making is also like a form of archaeology, where I scratch away the surface excavating back through all that I have built, seeing what lies beneath. This desire to know what has been forgotten reveals itself through the portal of the mark. “ The ultimate unity which the ancients achieved has been lost. The ancients had combined within their plastic world the three all-important elements of human experience with in a single symbol. These three are sensualism, sensation, and objectivity.” (Rothko, 2004, pg92.) Through my creation of art, I seek to remember the wisdom of the ancients and what we have forgotten. At some point in the creative process I incorporate Sacred Geometry. “Sacred Geometry” is a philosophy and practice existing in ancient Egypt and Greece. Its implicit goal was to enable the mind to become a channel through which the earth; (the level of manifest form) could receive abstract cosmic life from heavens.” (Lawler, pg6.) I consciously separate the plane of the canvas by masking an area with a linear line or by creating a rectangle or square. To me, this symbolizes the in-between, as well as the relationships between space and time, chaos and order. It creates an edge or entry point for the viewer to explore deeper into the surface of the painting. The work below is called Chaos and Order. To me, it resembles the birth of a star or galaxy. It is the animate nature of the formless coming into form. The black lightning- like patterns emerge. The solid line symbolizes the spatial order or the relationship of form to abstraction. Chaos and Order was inspired by two journeys to South America. The golden color is a reference to the luminosity and divinity of the worldviews of Mesoamerican ancient cultures. The first journey involved two trips to Peru; the realm of the children of the sun. There, I met a shaman who performed a ritual and led us through the Inca experience. He guided us into the ancient ruins and we directly experienced the transcendent power of that place. In Peru I felt like I had visited the womb of creation. The second journey involved a visit to Iguaçu Falls, one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The panorama of the falls filled me with fascination and a respect for the power and perfection of nature. I had a spiritual experience gazing down into “the devils throat.” I was also intrigued by the strange patterns that occurred in nature, like lichen growing on the boulders below the falls. I felt an affinity with the place because in many of my automatic paintings similar patterns often appear unintentionally. Totems My latest canvases are a series of mysterious and explosive triptychs that ascend dynamically into space. These works are the intersection of my studies with my interest in Shamanism. In this work there is a quality of the “event” and a sense of both my immersion and retreat from this state of being. This work was inspired by my travels to the petroglyphs of Pu’uloa, Hawaii and the sacred sites of Knowth, NewGrange, the Hill of Tara and the Giants Causeway in my ancestral land of Ireland. I work on all three canvases simultaneously on the floor. My intention is to break through and connect physically and metaphysically to all three worlds of my consciousness -- -- the lower, middle, and upper worlds (the subconscious, conscious, and super consciousness). Through my process, I feel a sense of immersion into and through these states of being, as the work occupies the darkness of the optical world and the lightness of the inner world. While creating I unify each canvas to the others through mono printing and/or an intuitive and automatic calligraphy. When the work is complete it is transferred from the Earth into the sky as it is hung vertically on a wall. The totems become the tentacles of a sacred site. The work symbolizes the Axis Mundi, which is an ancient archetype in religion and mythology. A representation of the Axis Mundi is the world tree. The tree is considered to be the connection between heaven and Earth. The anthropologist Mircea Eliade describes the Axis Mundi as “the absolute reality; the center on which the world is founded.” I seek for my totems to help us remember what we have forgotten in this world and to become an outlet for the imagination. Site Specific works “ I stumbled upon a sacred moment. My nephew and I went walking on a wooded trail near our home. He is twelve years old and loves the woods. We are glad to be close. But even in the woods we were distracted. Thinking of other things, not particularly present with each other or where we were. We stumbled upon the shrine at Cascade Falls, and it awoke something inside us. What is this? We wondered. Look at these colors…around this beautiful tree, and resonant energy ... this is where people have gathered to honor this place. And so we finally entered into a place where we were, and arrived, home at the falls.” ~ Bennett Johnston My earthworks are collaborative installations that pay homage to trees in and around the Bay Area that emanate power or have an absence of it. It began as a practice to rekindle my ancient relationship with trees. Evidence of human kind’s interconnection with trees traces back well over 6,ooo years. Humanity once had a deep spiritual relationship with trees. Indeed, the precursor to our dominant patriarchal religions was the tree. My work is a cross culture phenomenon inspired by the Kalaptura tree (wishing tree) of India and by various ancient and indigenous cultures around the globe that worshipped trees. While creating these works metaphysically, I activate my belief in animism ---- the shamanistic worldview that bodies in nature have souls and consciousness. Thus far I have created eleven earthworks, five being solar and six being lunar. The solar or circle shrines symbolize the archetype of the masculine. The crescent or lunar shrines symbolize the archetype of the feminine and must be created near a water source. I employ these two energies through the intuitive action of creating concentric circles around the trunk of a tree with pigments, spices, and food from Asia, India, and South America. The inner rings of the shrine seem to exteriorize and vibrate with energy through the vibrant and contrasting colors of the pigments. After each work is complete I meditate with the tree and document my experience. An important aspect of this project is the witnessing and of the interaction of the work by another to activate its potential for the witness to remember something they have forgotten. My intention is for my shrines to evoke introspection and a sense of the sacred for those who stumble upon them in a forest or in a city. One of my latest tree shrines was a solar shrine created at Lincoln Child Center, a mental health agency for abused children where I teach transformative art. It was a collaborative project with my students. The tree we chose was a neglected olive tree located on a small island of dirt surrounded by cement. We poured the pigments and contrasting hues to activate the solar energy in the concentric circles. Then we tore Sari cloth and ribbons and asked all the children to make wishes as they tied the ribbons to the tree. The children intuitively asked permission from the tree. One child wished for world peace. Another wished to go home. A third wished he would not be restrained anymore. The wind blew through the tree with the simplicity and majesty of Tibetan prayer flags, carrying my students’ wishes away. My earthworks are expanding internationally. I have decided to create shrines around the globe. In March of 2008, I went to Copper Canyon in Mexico and I created a shrine in around a tree located in a place called “the valley of frogs.” From afar, I noticed several people looking at the shrine with curiosity. I hope my shrines will help build awareness of our spiritual connection with the environment, and that they will help foster reverence for all life. Photography My photography is a form of seeing as well a process of me becoming a witness ---- a capturer of my own personal transcendent moments in time. With photography I harness moments in the sacred sites I have traveled to around the globe. In ordinary reality I photograph moments of light that exemplify the sublime, the beauty, and the magic of my perceived space in that time. My paintings, upon which I reflect on for hours on end, often become my subject matter as they transform and glow in the sunlight. Like my tree shrine photos, this process of documentary usually reveals something that was hidden or unknown to me. The Hands of Creation series manifested from my teaching transformative art to vulnerable and emotionally troubled children at a mental health agency in the Bay Area. I was looking for a way to honor the creative powers of my amazing students. Because of privacy issues I was not allowed to photograph their faces. So I decided to take pictures of their creative tools ---- their hands. Through the Hands of Creation project, I seek to honor that state of the soul where the artist/child experiences the ultimate liberation, which is the act of creation itself. It is my way of honoring the children’s essence and creativity, and counteracting apathy. My portraits are the revelation of the “other” to many viewers who know little about the struggles these children face. They bring to light the horrific plague of abuse that exists in our society. Through my practice and my teaching, I attempt to heal the wounded soul and to empower these magnificent and marginalized children. Philosophy We are made by magic. All of us in general are magicians. Andre Pierre (Haitian artist) I came to JFK University in the fall of 2003 with two perspectives: One being the visionary artist who was following my dreams and realizing my greatest potential; the other being my shadow. Previously, I had been doing f ine art sales in the gallery world and trying to find some redemption about being in the arena. I call it my six-year research project to see what the art world was all about and how I could infiltrate it. I became sickened by the ugliness of greed and the perverse paradox that we were selling “beauty.” Visionary and spiritual aspects of the artist were never mentioned and were denied for the sake of money. Artists become brand names and lingered in “rock star” status. We were not selling art, but image and status. I was heartbroken. Where had the essence of art gone? This worldview of art also resonated with my education. Having taken many art history courses, I noticed that the word, “spirituality,” was always left out. The “S word” was not accepted in the mainstream art world. My personal quest is to reunite art and the spirit. Akin to the alchemist’s work, which is the transformation of gross material into spiritual substance, I see my art as artifacts of my ever-transforming consciousness. My art and its process represent a humble quest to resurrect divination in my personal journey and into the community at large. As an artist my work gives the viewer a personal glimpse of my internal revelations. While creating I become a shamanic cave painter, an archeologist, an alchemist, and sorceress. I speak of divination in its broadest sense, meaning that through my art and process I find myself in a continuum of discovering the unknown within myself and in the world that I live in. The motives and impulses behind my creative process are my shamanistic belief that through the process of creation, I align with dynamism and the divinity that is animated in all of life. Like Tibetan art, which symbolically describes levels of awareness, I intuitively explore the three levels of sacred art in my work: the outer, the inner, and the secret----The outer being the physical object; the inner being the ritual that occurs during my art making; and the secret, where through the process of my creation and through my reflection on the finished work, the unknown becomes known. Art is my personal ritual and teacher. My allure with “thin places” has also led me to explore transpersonal psychology and my own personal shadow through dream work andJungian analysis. My art is a record of my deep interest in mysticism and the natural world, as well as a passageway into my own mythical inversion of reality. It is my deep exploration into non-ordinary reality and the mysteries of the unknown. While creating I employ my two mental allies, instinct and intuition, to create a composition of chaos and order. The Mainstream My philosophy and worldview exist on the margins of our society. The mainstream philosophy is still part of the old paradigm. The Western World’s dominant philosophy consists of dogmatic materialism and acquisition. Spirituality is separate from the material. The dominant theologies in the world are patriarchal and oppress nature and the sacred Feminine. Countless lives are taken every day in the name of their god. Underlining patriarchal philosophy is the notion that there is only one truth. Even in the art world, spirituality has been suppressed. The pioneers of abstraction, like Kandinsky and his belief that art was a spiritual revolution, have been hidden in institutional closets. The dominant philosophy is that the universe is not animistic. The Earth and its animals are for man to own, rape, and pillage. Animals are treated as objects that feel no pain and are tortured in horrific and unbelievable ways via factory farming and in the name of scientific research. The dominant philosophies are so unjust and overwhelming, that one could easily develop a fatalistic vision of the world. There is hope though, as a new paradigm is emerging. Just like the life that bursts through the cracks in pavement, there are like-minded souls, who quest to revere life in itself. There are many teachers such as Krishnmurti, Jung, and Wilber who have challenged the materialistic culture. I can look to a somewhat hidden legacy of the great artists throughout history that have explored the transcendent through their art. The Spiritual in Abstract Painting from 1890-1985 offers a series of exposés illuminating the explorations by artists such as William Blake, Malchevich, and Mark Rothko into the mysterious realms of metaphysics and beyond. They all illuminate the potential of the universe and its symbiotic relationship with human nature. The new sciences are also revealing the mysteries of what the ancients knew through holistic systems and Quantum theory. Jung offers springs of hope to my ideal of being a visionary artist. “We see that [the visionary artist] has drawn upon the healing and redeeming forces of the collective psyche that underlies consciousness with its isolation and its painful errors: that she/he penetrated to that matrix of life in which all men/women are embedded, which imparts a common rhythm of human existence, and allows the individual to communicate his feeling and his striving to mankind as whole.” (Jung) Social Issues Each man/woman is a conduit for the infinite ocean of power that lies behind mankind. ~ Malevic I believe the core social issue that I am exploring in my painting, photography, site specific works, and my teaching is abuse, which plagues society and the planet Earth. My approach to this work is not criticism, but a gentle revelation of what was and what can be. In all my work I explore and reveal the shadow of humanity by facing it, bringing it to surface, and on a personal level, finding a way to transform it. In my work I foster the reverence of all life, the importance of one’s inner journey, the power of creativity and its intrinsic healing nature within all humans, my work rekindles our intrinsic and essential relationship with nature. The Art of Transformation As an art educator and healer I am drawn to the populations that are marginalized, like at risk-youth and emotionally disturbed children. Prior to graduate school I implemented a transformative art program for at-risk teens in Arkansas called “Teen Art Explosion.” The last project we completed was a dream art project. This work was a treasure. My work and the teens’ artwork became published in an international dream magazine. In 2006 I quested to teach again and I blindly took an art teaching job at a non-profit mental agency for traumatized and abused children. I was shocked by two things, the first being the absence of art for these children in their daily lives and the other being the rigid behavior ist model that the system had adopted for these traumatized children. Maybe I was lucky that there was no art program because the vacuum enabled me to pioneer my own transformative art program at the center. One inspiration and model for my program came from the film Born into Brothels, which documented disadvantaged children in India who were given the opportunity to express themselves through art. One of the most powerful aspects of this film was that the children’s art was received in the public through exhibitions. Using my background in art sales, I set up exhibitions for my students to show their work. My vision was to awaken the public to the plight of these marginalized youth, to see the beauty within them, and to build bridges between communities. Such initiatives, to my knowledge, are quite rare in the mental health community. During my two years at the center, I have developed ongoing public exhibitions for the children’s work. The most successful project is called “The Art of Transformation,” which is a gallery event showcasing the work of children from five mental health agencies. These exhibitions have fostered transformation within my students and the communities they have shown in. The people who buy my students’ work are moved to their core. The art has awakened them to the beauty and the imagination of the perceived “other.” I mentor children to find their creative power and give voice to their fragmented beings. Bryanna, one of my beautiful students, has dubbed my art room “the calm room”. Everyday that I work with these amazing and resilient children my belief that art is a healing force is affirmed. Within my work in society I attempt to expose abuse in the world. My art looks at it straight in its face and attempts to begin the process of healing through the art process and its reception. My work responds to social issues as it aspires to renew and resurrect the spirit in art. The spirit is not a dogmatic truth, but a universal truth. The found peace Earlier this year, I attended The Missing Peace, an exhibition by curator Randy Rosenberg at the Yerba Buena Center for Art in San Francisco. The exhibition was about the Dali Lama and his archetype. It represented the greater ideals he stands for such as tolerance, unity, connection, and healing. It was inspiring to see that there were contemporary artists like myself who were also interested in similar issues and journeying into the inner realms. Rosenburg states, “One of the central roles of art and the artist is to encourage us to think about the forces that shape our lives. The transformative power of art invites us to reflect on our beliefs about those forces, and to make the shifts in our perception necessary to expand them (The Missing Peace, pg 8). Like The Missing Peace, my art also seeks to educate, inspire, transform, and engage, and heal. Ongoing Projects: This is the New Movement is a project challenging the old paradigm of art as an iinstitution, unreachable by the masses. I, along with two other local artists, attend museums once a month and encourage audiences to express what they felt about the art they saw. We hope to instigate a dialogue. We leave our flyers with our website for people to find so they can log on and express their views online. We also create videos of each visit and post them on YouTube. Our movement integrates technology and new paradigm views to challenge the status quo of the art world and to entice the masses to engage in art in a visceral and challenging way. 2018 Update this expanded into Art is Moving my non-profit, that I Co-founded with Lauren Odell Usher Sharpton. We created cutting edge Art Advocacy programs like Art Break Day, which is a global celebration of the power of Art! I am also collaborating with artist and activist Janice Brewster to honor victims of abuse. We will be creating an installation this spring in companion with my student’s artwork Janice has collected thousands of hand tracings from around the world to break the silence that pervades this plague in all our societies. Next year we hope to organize a trip to Africa to collaborate with the Zulu tribe in breaking the silence of abuse and resurrecting the healing power of art. As I conclude my studies at JFK I continue to be a prolific painter and I continue to be overwhelmed and amazed by my audience’s receptivity and understanding of my work. My coursework at JFK has been fruitful and has expanded my vision. I found that the sacred is a realm of the larger truths surrounding and conditioning our lives and dwelling within or in between: it is the realm of the hidden, and therefore, revelation. Art and teaching is my sacred purpose.
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 by Alessandra Sorrentino
Just like we have our own energy centers or chakras, Mother Earth also has hers. When you start looking into the nature of this Universe and the Earth, you will start to see how everything is a mirror. Within us is a Universe, around us is a Universe and we are all connected. We are connected to Mother Earth through the subtle electrical current that runs around the entire planet. These electrical currents are known as “Ley Lines” and are almost like Mother Earth’s veins. Just like we have veins that flow in and out of the heart, Mother Earth has Ley Lines, which are lines of energy that coil around the earth in a similar fashion as a strand of DNA. In fact, where the Ley Lines intersect are believed to be high points of energy or high concentrations of electrical charge. Usually places where most scientific anomalies happen. These Ley Lines are also said to be able to take information or energy from these higher vibrational points and carry them around the world, spreading knowledge and wisdom to all inhabitants. These exact intersecting points are ‘coincidentally’ home to some of the most sacred temples and monuments in the world including the Egyptian Pyramids, Machu Picchu, Stonehenge and Angkor Wat. When you look into advanced civilizations like the Ancient Egyptians, it is clear that they seemed to understand the energy and power of these energy currents. In fact, most ancient cultures probably had some understanding of Ley Lines. In China they are known as Dragon Lines. In South America the Shaman’s referred to them as Spirit Lines, in Australia the ancient Aboriginals called them Dream Lines and in the west they are referred to as Ley Lines. The most interesting thing to note is that the points where the Ley Lines intersect, are perfectly aligned with astrological constellations. If you think of these Ley Lines as Mother Earth’s energy currents, you will begin to see how it is possible that Mother Earth also has energy centers or chakras. It is believed that these are the Chakra’s of Mother Earth: Root Chakra:Mount Shasta, California, USA Mt. Shasta is part of the Cascade Mountain Range which runs from Northern California into Oregon and all the way up to the Canadian border. Mt. Shasta is believed to be one of the most electrically charged mountains but the whole area is also buzzing with energy. This area is believed to be the base of Mother Earth’s energy system. Sacral Chakra:Lake Titicaca, Peru-Bolivia, South America The Titicaca Stone is the geometrical center for the Solar Plexus Chakra of Mother Earth. The surrounding area of Machu Picchu, Cuzco and Iquitos are also believed to have a very high energy. Two Ley lines intersect at Lake Titicaca, these include the Male Great Dragon Ley Line which runs from Mt. Shasta to Lake Titicaca and the Female Great Dragon Ley line. Solar Plexus ChakraUluru- Kata Tjuta, Northern Territory, Australia Uluru and an area called Kata Tjuta is believed to be the Solar Plexus charka of the earth. These areas are still considered sacred to the native Aboriginals today. The Female Great Dragon Ley Line connects both Lake Titicaca and Uluru. Heart Chakra:Stonehenge, England Stonehenge as well as the surrounding areas of Glastonbury, Somerset, Shaftesbury and Dorset all form the heart chakra of Mother Earth. Where Stonehenge is constructed is the strongest point of all of this energy. Again, the Female Great Dragon Ley Line connects Uluru to Stonehenge. Throat Chakra:The Great Pyramid, Jerusalem, Mt. Sinai and Mt. Olives (Middle East) The throat chakra of Mother Earth includes the area of the Great Pyramid, Mt Sinai and the Mount of Olives which is located in Jerusalem. The throat chakra is one of the largest energy centers of Mother Earth, which indicates its importance at this particular time in our history. It is also the only energy center that is not connected to the Male or Female Great Dragon Ley Line. Third Eye Chakra The Third Eye chakra is the only one that moves, this is due to the the movement of Earth’s axis. The Third Eye chakra moves every 150-200 years or every aeon. These aeons are also lined up with astrological constellations. It is believed that in 2012 we shifted into the Age of Aquarius, which means the Third Eye chakra is currently located in Western Europe near Stonehenge. When we shift into the Age of Capricorn, the Third Eye chakra will move to Brazil. Crown Chakra:Mt. Kailash (Himalayan Mountains) Tibet Mt. Kailas is considered to be the most sacred mountain of the Himalayas and is located in Tibet. This is the Crown Chakra of Mother Earth and is believed to be connected to the Scorpio Full Moon. In fact, many locals harness the energy of Mt. Kailas on the night of the Scorpio Full Moon, which typically happens once a year in April or May. For Mother Earth, this Full Moon marks the start of a new evolution and a new cycle of energy, as Scorpio is connected to the idea of death and rebirth. Even though these 7 chakras have a very high energy, there are also other high points of energy around the world where the Ley Lines travel. These include:
Article originally published on Life Coach Code Art Break Day Co-Founder and Healing Artist: Lisa Rasmussen Below is the article, and you can listen to my interview online HERE. Lisa Rasmussen is a transformative artist, educator, curator and art advocate who truly believes that art can change and heal the world. Lisa is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Art is Moving and the 3rd Annual Art Break Day. Art Break Day is a community art-reach event that offers thousands of people the means and space to connect with their community via the art-making process. She is also the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Art 4 All People and AY Atelier Art, an international sanctuary for arts and consciousness online and in Malibu, CA. Additionally, Lisa pioneered an award-winning expressive arts program for emotionally traumatized and abused youth, and developed a professional art gallery for the residents of Lincoln Child Center, a mental health facility in Oakland, CA. She is also a professional artist, and her paintings are her spiritual practice. To learn more about Lisa and her work, please visit www.harmoniainstitute.com, www.artismovingnow.com, www.art4allpeople.com This interview was recorded in May 2013.   I am blessed to live in Santa Monica and so close to ocean. Almost every morning I embark on a four mile meditative beach walk. I begin my morning ritual with coffee and then by pulling a Thoth Deck card, this brings an archetypal theme to my day. Once I heard that a great quote, that within our inner worlds, we house the whole Tarot deck.
My next step is I oint myself with a blend of spiritual infused essential oils. I use
Meditation Today, after my 9 Chakra shedding or weeding. I consider our Chakra's to be like Eco systems, they constantly need a little weeding and tending to. My higher guides and my intuition spoke to me internally and said you feel the Earth is divine, think about your Root Chakra as divine. This gave me an aha! I began focusing on my Root Chakra as divine. I said internally Body you are divine, cells your are divine, bones you are divine ~ my whole sacred vessel (my body) is divine. My Root Chakra was divinely empowered as I visualized a bright red vortex at my tail. #channeling my #innerbuddha #rumi and #priestess my #thirdeye #chakra is tingling from this #mantra it came to me from my #higherguides #higherself during #10000steps of #gratitude #meditation #oceantherapy #innerhealing #chakrasaligned with and infused with #divinelove and light #harmoniapractice my #body returns to a #coherent #stateofbeing #divinity us #within #you #me and #allbeings #divineresonance #dna #expanding in #harmony #sacredspiral the #universe is #energy #electromagnetic #flow always #sublime #life my #prayers go out to all beings devasted by the fire, it is still going...I read in the news 5 #mountainlions are #mia #pray for safe passage to all Power Essential Oil Helichrysum: Nervous System, Reduce Inflammation, Detox, and Skin Renewal11/9/2018 
On my journey into epic self care with my Harmonia Practice and Doterra essential oils. I discovered another powerhouse essential oil. Helichrysum is perfect to include in your daily self care routine. "Helichrysum is often used to prevent signs of aging and referred to as “The Everlasting Flower” because of its rejuvenating benefits for the skin and ability to improve the complexion." Doterra website.
Also, the ancient Greeks used it for medicinal purposes. They also named it Helichrysum as it has the color of the sun. For a liver detox rub a couple drops of Helichrysum oil into coconut oil and rub below your lower right rub. To give some love to your liver. From Dr. Axe's website here is an Anti-Inflammatory Pain Reliever Rub Recipe (such as for Fibromyalgia or Arthritis)Total Time: 2 minutes Serves: 30 INGREDIENTS:
 This is a great essential oil recipe to warm your heart. I shifted a bit and added more patchouli. As well as clove is an excellent remedy for your teeth and gums. Wild orange alone is mood elevator (joy anyone) and is excellent to infuse your water with. Lastly, one of the benefits of patchouli essential oil is great for skincare and anti inflammation. You can buy your oils at Harmonia Essential Oils HERE.
Repost of article from Evolve and Ascend “Chakra” is a sanskrit word, which translates from Hindi to “wheel of spinning energy”. It is believed that there are seven energy centers within our body, and each center corresponds to a space where life-force flows. When a chakra is out of balance, we may feel off-balanced in our day to day life, but in learning how to cleanse, and activate our life force centers, we learn to become a force of nature within our reality. While the connection to the chakra system may be tied to Hindu spiritual belief systems, one may also be surprised to find that even the ancient Egyptians believed in the concept of the seven energy centers. The Egyptians tied the energy centers to the endocrine system, and seven specific glands within the body, which include the pineal gland, pituitary gland, thyroid, thymus, adrenal glands, spleen, and testes/ovaries. In fact, The Pyramid Texts of Saqqara, believed to be the oldest religious writings in the world, detail Seven Sacred Oils, which were used in daily temple ritual, funerary rites, cosmetics and medicines. According to Alkemi.co, “The deities (gods and goddesses) were said to be the most fragrant beings imaginable, and the temple statues were anointed daily with perfume. It is said that during his reign, Ramses III offered more than 16,000 jars of perfume to the gods.” Below, we’ve detailed these Seven Sacred Oils, and the gods/goddess (aka: Neters, “forces of nature”) they correspond with. Seven Sacred Oils For Chakra Healing Crown of Osiris: Lotus Flower (Crown Chakra) In the modern mythology of the story of Osiris, it is believed that the reason he is portrayed as green is because he was slain, and resurrected back to life. According to The Story of Osiris, Isis and Horus: The Egyptian Myth of Creation: “From Geb, the sky god, and Nut, the earth goddess came four children: Osiris, Isis, Set and Nepthys. Osiris was the oldest and so became king of Egypt, and he married his sister Isis. Osiris was a good king and commanded the respect of all who lived on the earth and the gods who dwelled in the netherworld. However, Set was always jealous of Osiris, because he did not command the respect of those on earth or those in the netherworld. One day, Set transformed himself into a vicious monster and attacked Osiris, killing him. Set then cut Osiris into pieces and distributed them throughout the length and breadth of Egypt. With Osiris dead, Set became king of Egypt, with his sister Nepthys as his wife. Nepthys, however, felt sorry for her sister Isis, who wept endlessly over her lost husband. Isis, who had great magical powers, decided to find her husband and bring him back to life long enough so that they could have a child. Together with Nepthys, Isis roamed the country, collecting the pieces of her husband’s body and reassembling them. Once she completed this task, she breathed the breath of life into his body and resurrected him. They were together again, and Isis became pregnant soon after. Osiris was able to descend into the underworld, where he became the lord of that domain.” However, the story runs deeper than the myth, and the Egyptian mystery schools believe that the reason Osiris was portrayed as green, was because not because he died and came back to life, but because he was closest to nature. The very word for Egyptian god/goddess, “Neter”, actually translates as “force of nature”, and the gods/goddesses were not God, but forces of “God”, which is not a being, but is nature as a whole. Patricia Awyan of Khemitlogy elucidates: “Osiris embodies the tree, rooted in the earth and reaching for the heavens. This is the path of the kundalini moving through our glandular ChakRAs , from the root to the crown . We choose how we want to interact with this reality by where we place our focus. We vibrate at higher levels when we raise our levels of consciousness and transmute our polarities within.” In looking at Osiris as a “force of nature” (a being in connection with the powers of creation), in relation to the crown chakra, which unleashes our ability for astral communication, and connection with the energy of the all, lotus flower is the fragrant vehicle, which unlocks our senses, and cleanses any static from this energy system, so we can connect to the divine, observe the powers Osiris embodied, and open to receive all of sources of infinite wisdom, and mystery. Eye of Horus: Sandalwood (Third Eye Chakra) Horus, energetically speaking, aligns with the powers of the Sun, and symbolizes power, wisdom and the all seeing eye (Third Eye Chakra). By working with Sandalwood and this energy sphere/Neter, we tap into the powers of the Sun, which allows “in-sight” and lights up our inner vision. This vision of the all provides the opportunity to transcend time and space, by exploring the various visionary realms, and spiritual planes of the worlds within our world. Throat of Thoth: Ambar Kashmir (Throat Chakra) “Man is in process of changing to forms that are not of this world. Grows he is time to the formless, a plane on the cycle above.” – The Emerald Tablets of Thoth Thoth was a powerful Neter, and both the Egyptians and Greeks credit him as the inventor of astrology, astronomy, science, mathematics, geometry, medicine, reading, writing, and so much more. Furthermore, they believed Thoth was the true author of every branch of knowledge, both human and divine, and a master of the material and spiritual realms. A scribe of wisdom and wonder, a seer, a sage, a mystic and a magician, Thoth was a clear channel, and a conduit for articulating the power of infinity. He aligns with the throat chakra, and ambar kashmir is thought to unlock the powers his energy holds. Working with the throat chakra, and ambar kashmir allows the opportunity to speak with clarity, to articulate with ease, and to let wisdom flow through your words, writing and creativity. Heart of Isis: Attar of Roses (Heart Chakra) Isis, whose name literally translates to “the throne”, was worshipped as the goddess that was the living embodiment of The Divine Feminine. She was perceived to be the connection between nature and magic, and an ideal representation of majestic, maternal, loving, energy. She was a friend to all walks of life, both the oppressed and the opulent, and her heart was open to give, receive, live, and embody love. The heart chakra relates to Isis as a Neter, and Attar of Roses is the oil, which connects us to her power and grace. When working with this chakra, and this oil – we open our hearts to give love, to live love, to receive love, and also embody the magical healing that loving warmth imbues into all aspects of our actions and experiences. Connecting to the heart chakra also helps us connect to the ideals of The Divine Feminine in mind as well, which is the living consciousness of non-linear (cyclical) time, eternity, ritual, magic/intuition, altered states, and art. Solar Plexus of Ra: Jasmine (Solar Plexus Chakra) Ra is another incarnation of Horus, believed to be the “Horus of the Two Horizons”. Like Horus, Ra also corresponds to the Sun, and was seen as a creator god that embodied the energies of light, warmth and growth. With Ra relating to the Solar Plexus, his nature in relationship to the nature of this energy center is a reminder of our “I Am Presence”, and our connection to confidence, security, and systems of belief. Systems of belief in the sense of our ability to believe in our own power, and our potential to create. Jasmine reminds us of our inner creator, and helps dissolve insecurity, doubt, and anything that dims your spiritual sunshine from shining at its lightest, brightest, and very best. Spleen of Hathor: Musk (Sacral Chakra) The Egyptians believed that the health of the glands was essential to the health of the whole, the hormones each secreted helped with living as a fully activated human. Fertility and reproduction which were held in high esteem, and when all major glands were in healthy communication, higher levels of consciousness and creativity were easily accessed. Hathor, was revered as a Neter, and personified the principles of joy, feminine love, and fertility, while also balancing the ability to be a wife, mother and lover. She relates to the spleen (sacral/navel) chakra, which is closely associated to the realm of emotions, sensual, and sexual desire. Musk activates our abilities of clairsentience by opening us up to the energies of “feeling” into the world around us with love, light, sacred sexuality and softness. Base of Set: Red Ambar (Root Chakra) According to Ancient Egypt Online: Set is a Neter that associated with intensity and frightening events such as eclipses, thunderstorms and earthquakes. He also represented the desert and, by extension, the foreign lands beyond the desert. His glyph appears in the Egyptian words for “turmoil”, “confusion”, “illness”, “storm” and “rage”. He was considered to be very strong but also very dangerous, but he was not always considered to be an “evil” being. Set was a friend to the deceased, and assisted them to ascending to heaven on his ladder, and he protected the life giving oases of the desert, and was at times a powerful ally to the pharaoh and even the sun god Ra. In looking to Set in relation to clearing the base chakra, one can be reminded of what can happen when this energy center is off-balance. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine, and relates to grounding, survival instincts, the need for safety, and security. For a person who has imbalance in the first chakra, it might be hard to feel safe in the world and everything looks like a potential risk. The desire for security dominates and can translate into concerns over the job situation, physical safety, shelter, health. A blocked root chakra may turn into behaviors ruled mainly by fear. Red Ambar allows us to transmute any negative feelings from an off-balance chakra, transforming darkness to light, aligning us to the Earth, and the calm, trusting vibration of acceptance, ease, and peace. On OCTOBER 14, 2017 • By JENNIFER SODINI
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Here is a video about Doterra's compensation plan. The fastest way to start creating income for yourself is to build a team under you,that start building teams under them. The whole team income grows by getting builders under each of them and the growth continues. It becomes like a thriving organic eco system.
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In addition to supplying the highest quality essential oils doTERRA is committed to making a positive difference in the lives of farmers, harvesters, and distillers who contribute to doTERRA’s oil production. With over 100 essential oils in its product line, doTERRA sources its oils from over 40 countries —more than half of which could be considered developing countries. To ensure that small scale farmers and harvesters in disadvantaged areas are treated ethically, doTERRA has introduced an initiative called Co-Impact Sourcing. Co-Impact Sourcing is an initiative that seeks to develop long-term, mutually beneficial supplier partnerships while creating sustainable jobs and providing reliable income in underdeveloped areas. doTERRA is committed to the ethical treatment of its suppliers by providing on-time payments at fair prices. Growers and harvesters are encouraged to form cooperative groups to share collective benefits and bargaining power while improving skills and capacity. Additionally, the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation® helps support development projects in sourcing communities. Projects include schools, health clinics, improved infrastructure and clean water systems. Find out more about doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation projects in Co-Impact Sourcing areas by clicking here. Learn about a few of our projects by clicking below.  Honor and celebrate the betwixt and your ancestors by activating your inner witch during Samhain. Create a magical environment by diffusing some potent oils. HERE is a great article on 13 rituals to do during Samhain. Enjoy dancing in the mysteries and magick of the universe! The oils that I use in the Harmonia's sacred self care practice is Doterra essentials. I love the quality and the mission of of Doterra. Please feel free to use your preference. If you are interested in using and buying Doterra wholesale, please contact me @ [email protected]. I can answer any questions you might have and help you set up an account. Also, if you are interested becoming a Doterra Wellness Advocate let me know. You can share the oils and build a business at the same time. E-mail at [email protected] Doterra's quality is amazing and there so many tools for educating yourself on the power of using essential oils in all parts of your life.  |
Muse and Artivist
Lisa Rasmussen MFA is the Founder and Director of the Harmonia Institute. Lisa Rasmussen—artist, educator, curator, life coach, arts and healing practitioner, and art advocate—believes art can change and heal the world. Archives
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