Venetia Nevill – Multi-sensory and experiential art work

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“An oak tree is just a small nut that persevered

“An oak tree is just a small nut that persevered against the taunts of doubt and fear.”
― Matshona Dhliwayo The oak is revered for its ability to survive lightning strikes, and honoured by many cultures for its connection to the God of Thunder - Zeus in Greek mythology, Taranis the Celtic God and the Vikings linked the oak to the Norse God Thor, the protector of mankind. The oak is connected to Jupiter and Mars and when Mars is close to the Earth it is thought that the roots of the oak are stimulated. Apparently the full moon eclipse in Gemini on Monday might cause tensions and insecurity and bring sudden shifts but if we are flexible like the oak’s branches we will come out stronger, having cleared old ideas and emotions. Today is the first day of Advent, representing hope, and it is important to pause, connect to our inner tree and ground deeply into the nourishing earth. There seem to be a mass of gorgeous galls this year. Created by the gall wasp laying its eggs, they have been used to make ink since the Roman Empire and the Magna Carter is written in it. These paintings were created with ink from galls and other ogham trees and healing iron from a sacred spring. The second picture was painted to align conflicting energies into the one heart. The snake dance of the Hopi people is a prayer to the spirits of the clouds, the thunder and the lightning, that the rain may fall and nature renew and regenerate. The Oak is connected with spells for protection, strength and good fortune. If you get to an acorn before the squirrels and carry it in your pocket it will bring you good luck. And catching a falling Oak leaf before it hits the ground, will bring you good health for the following year. The oak teaches us to have faith in our visions and reminds us that ‘the strength of love has brought you this far and this is the power which will endure’ (Glennie Kindred) #oak #ogham #gall #ink #innerresource #jupiter #abundance #healing #medicine #fullmoon #godofthunder #keepgrounded #alchemy #snakedance #presence thanks to @alchemyofpaint and @penline__ for ink recipes

‘I honor the energy of oak, the doorway to the m

‘I honor the energy of oak, the doorway to the mysteries.
I will call upon the strength of the Horned One when I feel in need of protection.’ The 7th tree in the Ogham alphabet is the king of the forest , the oak. It’s celtic name is Duir which means door and is derived from the word Druid. This is the tree that I first fell in love with. It became my sanctuary, a place where I connected to spirit and mystery. It has listened to my sorrows and joys and generously absorbed my negative energies. And in return I began devotional rituals to honour it beginning with sacred times of the year. So many oaks to visit and explore this lunar month but it had to begin with making a mandala blessing to this beloved oak with some gifts from the hawthorn, the maple, the apple and the quince. When it unexpectedly crashed to the earth just after 12.12.12 I was utterly bereft but it taught me that what looks like a death or an ending can be a wonderful portal to something completely unexpected More than anything it has shown me how it grew strong through challenges and its wisdom is to be courageous, have endurance and faith whatever outward appearances. Nature constantly teaches me to keep an open mind, be patient and receptive to the cyclical ebb and flow that has its healing in the heart of the earth. When it fell I wrapped its roots in hessian as a healing balm and loved it back to health. Renewed with lovely bio char (carbon gold ) from Craig Sams, it slowly revived and seems happy in its new resting place. As my husband said after 300 years being rather top heavy he would need a rest. It is still gently unravelling and I have allowed nature to flourish under her boughs untouched and it has become a sanctuary and haven for wildlife and seeded trees. #oak #ogham #ritual #mandala #cyclesoflife #earthtending #healing #protection #cernunnos #sacred #courage #renewal #homage #lovetrees

‘You are the master alchemist. You light the fir

‘You are the master alchemist.
You light the fire of love
in earth and sky
in heart and soul
of every being’ (Rumi)

I thanked the dear Hawthorn for all its gifts on the rather intense Scorpio Super New Moon before moving on to the magnificent oak, the 7th ogham tree. As well as offering medicine for our emotional heart, hawthorn strengthens and protects the physical heart. I made a syrup with the berries to nourish me in the dark days ahead. The berries contain antioxidants, and help with anxiety and high blood pressure allowing more flow of blood to the heart. I added some rosehips, also used in the mandala, which are full of vitamin C and good for the joints.

Lighting candles in torrential rain during Diwali has been a wonderful way to connect to the little flames of hope and possibilities and feel the stirrings of new energy arising. This festival of light is all about celebrating homecoming and coming back to ourselves. I participated in a wonderful New Moon meditation with @amishaghadiali honouring the Indian deities, chanting and listening to ancient stories that reminded me of the importance of aligning our divine purpose with courage and unconditional love. Floating candles on water is also a great way to connect to the ancestors and tap into that unseen energy and support remembering that we are never alone. I feel that presence in nature and particularly when I connect to the trees, and I will carry the hawthorn’s treasure in my heart - an inner resource to stand off any doubt and negativity! If you would like a recipe do dm me. Thanks @the_muse_in_the_mirror for your ones. Take medical advice if you are on other medication particularly for the heart.

#mandala #hawthorn #ogham #healing #berries #signatureofplants #blessings #unconditionallove #alchemyoflove #diwali #newmoon #innerresource #presence

‘I say to myself, how can you help but grow wise

‘I say to myself,
how can you help
but grow wise
with such teachings
as these-
the untrimmable light
of the world,
the ocean’s shine,
the prayers that are made
out of grass.’ Mary Oliver 11.11 is not only Remembrance Day, but also a Master Number that relates to manifestation and spiritual awakenings. It is about aligning with our highest purpose, and recognising that our guides and angels are always with us. It is a beautiful gateway of potential and a time to take a deep breath reflect and be still. To honour our ancestors, remembering those who died in the wars but also to connect to our deepest selves. Along with oak and ash, hawthorn forms the “fairy triad . Hawthorn is a portal to the fairy realms and holds strong magic offering access to the Otherworld. It is sacred to the Welsh sun goddess Olwen, ‘where she trod she left white footprints on hawthorn’ (green goddess) Hawthorn is the magical protector of small birds, not surprising with the gorgeous berries and it is heaven sitting under it listening to them, particularly the blackbird. Apparently listening to the Blackbird songs help Shaman in travelling to various spiritual realms. (The thorns offer the psychic protection needed for all spiritual journeys.) The blackbird spirit animal teaches that life is full of mystery and elemental magic and we never know how things might unfold. To trust each day and the paths we choose and notice those wonderful ‘prayers made out of grass’ #1111 #portal #remembering #hawthorn #ogham #faery #spirit #manifestation #blackbird #stillness #presence #magical #lovetrees #sacred

The Hawthorn is linked to Mars, which is one of th

The Hawthorn is linked to Mars, which is one of the planets causing so much intensity in our lives this year. Mars rules Aries and co rules Scorpio (we are now in Scorpio season bringing the unconscious to the surface and Mars goes direct ‪on nov 13th‬). Making friends with Mars seems wise and its fiery energy can inspire movement, transforming thoughts and desires into actions. The hawthorn symbolises hope and invites us to see challenges as a way to test our resilience, using intuition as the guide and protector on our spiritual paths. According to medical astrology, Mars is the primary ruler of the red blood cells and the secondary ruler of the heart. (I will post about the healing qualities for the heart and nervous system of the hawthorn’s fiery berries soon.)

Mercury went direct last Tuesday, but we are still in the shadow so best to be be super conscious of communications and go slowly towards implementing any intentions. I embedded some haw thorns in Cinnabar, an ore and a crystal, mined in ancient times to be turned into mercury. Medieval alchemists would use cinnebar to try to turn lead into gold, Titian ground it into vermilion and the red dust was used by Mayan peoples in their burials. The name Cinnabar is said to derive from an Eastern Indian phrase meaning "dragon's blood - in the East, dragons are helpful, beneficial creatures. The Cinnabar Stone is a powerful gemstone used for healing and transformation, removing negative energies and replacing them with positive ones. Connecting to the heart aligning strength and softness, while allowing for the ability to cultivate healthy boundaries as well as gentleness seems to be what the hawthorn is encouraging.
Rather wonderfully discovered Cinnebar is a hexagonal Crystal system so also relates to the hawthorn the 5th letter of the ogham alphabet thank you @penline__ .

#cinnebar #mars #dragonsblood #openheart #ogham #medicine #healing #alchemy #gentleness #presence #courage #lovetrees #alignment #blessings

“Death is our friend precisely because it brings

“Death is our friend precisely because it brings us into absolute and passionate presence with all that is here, that is natural, that is love… Life always says Yes and No simultaneously.’Rainer Maria Rilke This liminal time of year is celebrated in many cultures, as Samhain, the Day of the Dead or All Souls’ Day with prayers and feasts. Lighting candles and fires, and making offerings to honour our ancestors, and ask for their guidance and blessings is a beautiful pathway to connect with the unseen in these dark times. The powerful Taurus full moon also invites us to get grounded and use ritual to get in touch with our senses and the elements, within and without, to release and heal old patterns The ancient Celtic New Year’s Day was traditionally celebrated at Samhain. An old custom was to make a hawthorn globe from its twigs, representing our hopes and aspirations, tie it with a white ribbon and hang it from the tree. The old one, representing the old self with last years troubles and struggles, would be burned in a fire of straw, ash twigs and acorns. We all have our own ways of remembering our ancestors. (I feel closest to my father when playing in streams and clearing blockages.) I used some clay from the ash well, and as I placed hawthorn berries in its centre I said a heartfelt thank you to my ancestors for all their gifts. Then I wrapped and moulded the clay around the berries and released the many negative traits and coping skills that are part of my family’s conditioning back to them, acknowledging how they once helped but are no longer needed. I pressed broken hawthorn branches gently into the clay and dipped some precious thorns for my son and my father in the sacred iron spring to add today. Inviting in a new way of being that includes unconditional acceptance of self and others, compassion and forgiveness. The story of the Glastonbury Thorn is a wonderful symbol of regeneration and hope (in comments below) Samhain blessings! #samhain #hawthorn #ogham #ritual #glastonbury #spirit #liminal #ancestors #healing #blessings #forgiveness #cyclesoflife #regeneration #presence

The sixth letter of the ogham alphabet is the powe

The sixth letter of the ogham alphabet is the powerful, sacred hawthorn. It is connected to the heart and offers protection, cleansing and releases blocked energy to prepare for spiritual growth. For me it is all about accessing the courage of the heart, and in these challenging times recognising that even when fear is present, it is possible to choose to open the heart, be still in the present moment and the mind will eventually follow. I created a mandala to honour the hawthorn bringing gifts from the ash tree, the fallen leaves of the magical alder near by and some gorgeous vine leaves that always symbolize regeneration and letting go for me. I used some of the tree’s thorns to gently secure the leaves from the howling storms this weekend and found sanctuary under its canopy. The six-pointed star, the hexagram, has in the past been used as a talisman and for connecting with spirits in ceremonial magic. But it’s relevance today is more about connecting to a heart centred way of being - the healing, nurturing energy of Gaia, Mother Earth. The mystical union of the two triangles represents Creation, occurring through the divine union of male and female, and god and humanity - the love underlying everything. The oldest example of this star is in India. In Hinduism the hexagram mandala symbol stands for "nara-narayana," the balance of man and god achieved through meditation and resulting in nirvana. Like the star, the hawthorn relates to the union of sun and moon, male and female. ‘It contains the knowledge of transformation and highlights the importance of process and the necessity for change’. it can often seem counter intuitive to pause and go slow in a goal orientated world, but the hawthorn wisdom guides us to cultivate patience, grounding and careful preparation. And I reckon to keep trusting and connecting to the heart. #hawthorn #ogham #sacred #courage #openheart #hexagon #greengoddess #love #trust #mandala #balance #peacewithin #pause #alchemy #interconnection

In Ancient Greek mythology the ash tree was associ

In Ancient Greek mythology the ash tree was associated with Poseidon the god of the sea and thought to protect travellers from drowning. The ogham symbol for the sea is Mor. It is associated with the moon goddesses, female ancestors, healing the unconscious and inner child. The sea encourages us to make spiritual pilgrimages within and without to learn more about our roots, and to honor all waters on the planet including in our bodies. It was wonderful to go on a little solo pilgrimage to the sea and connect to the elements and to breathe deeply. I took some water from the ash spring and created a mandala to honour the sea and the interconnection of all waters. And brought some sea gifts home for the dear ash to thank it for all its gifts before I move onto the hawthorn. As the 5th letter in the ogham alphabet the ash relates to the five subtle and gross elements. The fifth element space (aether) is ‘the essence that the gods breathed’, the bridge between the manifest and unmanifest. This Samhain super new moon in Libra is a liminal time when the veils between the unseen and seen are thin so a great time to do rituals and connect to our ancestors. Remembering to listen with our inner ears and heart can bring balance and deep connection into our lives at a time when there is so much uncertainty. I love that in numerology number 5 is an expression of personal freedom something we can always find in the stillness and in the small gestures and kindnesses. #Mor #sea #ogham #mandala #ritual #ancestors #aether
#essence #pilgrimage #healing #lovewater #sacred #spirit #samhain #consciousness
The beautiful words in the video clip are from the Celtic Tree Oracle by Sharlyn Hidalgo

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Please contact me at venetia9@yahoo.com