Author Archives

I'm an artistic, creative, somewhat eclectic person with a huge passion for painting, dance,sunsets,travel,friends and life in general. Being an artist is an exciting path with which to journey through life.

• Wolf – The Call of the Wild by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on January 22, 2020 • ( 17 )

  

  Howling wolves on a winter’s night sets the human heart aflame with fear – their legends are terrifying. Yet there is another side to Wolf. Deeply relational by nature, wolves are highly intelligent animals, excellent hunters and devoted to family…. Read More ›

• Embracing the Darkness by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on December 19, 2019 • ( 17 )

  

  For most of my life I dreaded both the approach of winter and winter itself. Having grown up in the semi-tropics of New Orleans I had little tolerance for the cold. Living further north as an adult, the shortening days… Read More ›

• Tlachtga, Forgotten Celtic Goddess – by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on November 27, 2019 • ( 17 )

  

  I am the Sun – bringer of the warming light of day. I am Lightning –  bringer of fire to Earth. I am Tlachtga who flew through the sky together with my father Mog Ruith in our glowing wheel. I… Read More ›

• Turtle – Slow and Steady Wins the Race by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on October 23, 2019 • ( 13 )

  

  Turtle moves slowly through the world carrying its home on its back and has done so for over 200 million years, offering us its special wisdom – all you are and all you need is inside of you.

• Crane – Guide to Royalty, Longevity and Balance by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on September 23, 2019 • ( 18 )

  

  Cranes, seen gliding over the water, searching for food in muddy wetlands and flying overhead in beautiful formations, are graceful, elegant birds – masters of three worlds – air, land and water.

• Lion – Guide to the Power that Resides Within, by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on August 28, 2019 • ( 4 )

  

  Lion, ancient symbol of strength and courage, is found in cave art from our early days. From the Egyptians to the Medieval Christians, lion could represent danger and chaos or protection and triumph over chaos. But through it all lion’s… Read More ›

• Soulful Art in New York City by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on August 6, 2019 • ( 9 )

  

  Though temperatures outside were sizzling during the July heatwave in New York, I was cool inside the Frick Museum. Nearing the end of my visit I was standing by a rope that blocked entry to a curved stone staircase –… Read More ›

• Art That Lifts the Soul by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on July 31, 2019 • ( 8 )

  

  Art that seeks the essence. Such art comes in many forms and styles. Some art is political, some is decorative. Some art is conceptual, some is commercial. But the art that draws me in, that makes me feel deeply, and… Read More ›

• Eagle Spirit Guide by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on June 26, 2019 • ( 16 )

  

  Eagle, with its soaring flight, its vision, and its courage, has inspired humans since our early days. Eagle, Lord of the Birds, is the ultimate symbol of grandeur, splendor and nobility.

• Magical Forests by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on May 22, 2019 • ( 17 )

  

  The forest calls me. I long for her lush coolness, her sheltering trees, her world filled with life.

• Hare Spirit Guide – Fertility and Renewal, by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on March 27, 2019 • ( 13 )

  

  Hare, important to humans since our early days, is known everywhere as a symbol of fertility, balance, and transformation. Although rare, cave paintings of Hare have been found. With Hare comes the Spring promise of the eternal renewal of life. … Read More ›

• Logic and Intuition – Antithetical or Cooperative? by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on February 26, 2019 • ( 14 )

  

  “Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.”-Klee An artist is continually making decisions – decisions about subject matter, themes, materials, size. Does one do pre-planning with preliminary drawings are just dive right in? Once those decisions are… Read More ›

• Crow/Raven – A Messenger of Magic and Mystery by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on January 23, 2019 • ( 13 )

  

  Caw! Caw! calls Crow. Gronk! Gronk! honks Raven. Magic and mystery are in the air. Ancient cultures saw birds as spiritual messengers, whose gift of flight gave them access to the spirit realm.

• Reindeer Spirit Animal – A Guide Through the Darkness by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on December 26, 2018 • ( 15 )

  

  Reindeer have been important to humans since our early days as hunters-gatherers. Found in cave paintings throughout Europe and Asia, reindeer are depicted as soaring through the air, perhaps acting as intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world.

• Bear Spirit Guide by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on November 28, 2018 • ( 18 )

  

  Bear has been important to human mythology and story for thousands of years. Some feel that Bear is the oldest European deity, as bones and skulls of bears have been found lovingly arranged on niches found in caves across Europe…. Read More ›

• A Tribute to Viktoria Maroniva by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on October 24, 2018 • ( 14 )

  

  It’s been a very tough month for women. The “Me Too” movement started in 2006, when Tarana Burke coined the phrase “Me Too” as a way to help women who had survived sexual violence. Then on October 15, 2017 it was… Read More ›

• Pig/Sow – Animal Spirit Guide by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on September 26, 2018 • ( 13 )

  

  Pigs, who were called boars in the wild, were the first animals to be domesticated. Pig domestication occurred about 9,000 – 10,000 years ago in two places – central China and Neolithic Anatolia in modern day southwestern Turkey. Around 7,000… Read More ›

• Sweet Honey Bee – Animal Guide, by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on August 22, 2018 • ( 17 )

  

  Bees have been part of the human community since the days of prehistory. Cave paintings created by Neolithic people in Spain from between 6000 and 8000 BC show them gathering honey from wild bee colonies. The earliest record of beekeeping… Read More ›

• Women Can Change the World by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on July 25, 2018 • ( 24 )

  

  These are dark days for those of us who believe in democracy, social justice, environmental stewardship/protection, and connectivity.  A rise in authoritarian rulers – from the U.S. to pockets of Europe to Turkey and beyond – are threatening the values… Read More ›

• Swan – Guide to Love and Spiritual Evolution by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on June 27, 2018 • ( 16 )

  

  Swan glides gracefully across the mirror-like surface of the lake, stirring sensibilities of purity, loyalty and love in our hearts. Her long, curved, delicate neck reflects in the water as gentle ripples spread out behind her. Swan evokes feelings of… Read More ›

• Fox Wisdom – Cunning, Camouflage and Persistence by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on May 23, 2018 • ( 21 )

  

  Fox, as a member of the Canidae family, is related to wolves, jackals and dogs. But unlike these animals who hunt in packs, fox hunts alone. Fox is intelligent, clever and cunning. While it is persistent, fox is gentler and… Read More ›

• Dragonfly, Guide to Transformation and True Sight by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on April 25, 2018 • ( 17 )

  

  Dragonfly, dragonfly darting quickly hither and yonder, up and down, left and right –  a transparent shimmering spark with effervescent wings, representing the dreamtime and the illusionary nature of reality.  Dragonfly, dragon – both immortalized in mythology worldwide.

• We All Come From Stardust by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on March 28, 2018 • ( 13 )

  

  “We are a way for the universe to know itself. Some part of our being knows this is where we came from. We long to return. And we can, because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star… Read More ›

• Horse – Symbol of Power and Freedom by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on February 28, 2018 • ( 10 )

  

  The horse was first depicted in art about 32,000 years ago on the cave walls of southern France and northern Spain. Though  archeologists disagree as to whether the paintings are realistic depictions or symbolic markings, many concur that they are both…. Read More ›

• Yemaya, Mother Whose Children are the Fish by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on January 24, 2018 • ( 8 )

  

  I spent the winter holidays in Rio de Janeiro with my sister. It was wonderful to experience the warmth of both the Brazilian people and summer in the Southern Hemisphere but a little odd to miss the quiet, dark time… Read More ›

• Wisdom of Reindeer Goddess and Owl by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on December 27, 2017 • ( 16 )

  

  At this time of year in the Northern Hemisphere we are called to embrace the darkness. Nighttime rules, the cold has set in and we curl up for the long winter nights with our hot beverage and an anticipation of… Read More ›

• Gratitude – A Salve to Heal Our Wounds by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on November 22, 2017 • ( 23 )

  

  Tomorrow being Thanksgiving in the United States offers an opportunity to reflect on gratitude. With so much anger bubbling up on all fronts is it possible that gratitude could be the salve to heal our wounds?

• Season of Change – Transformation by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on October 25, 2017 • ( 7 )

  

  Fall is here, the leaves are changing color, the days are shortening and our ongoing natural cycle of change and transformation now moves toward the dark, quiet days of winter. Both the idea and the process of transformation have fascinated… Read More ›

• Badb, Goddess of Life and Death by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on September 27, 2017 • ( 13 )

  

  With the ongoing occurrence of huge hurricanes, floods, mudslides, earthquakes, possible nuclear war and more in both the US and worldwide it seems that the wrath of the Goddess has been awakened. I felt the need to revisit the Celtic… Read More ›

• Corra, Celtic Serpent Goddess by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on August 23, 2017 • ( 9 )

  

  Even though snakes never inhabited Ireland, as in the rest of the ancient world both the serpent and the dragon were ancient symbols of life, fertility, wisdom and immortality for the Celts. Ancient Celtic ornamental work is entwined with serpents and… Read More ›