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.

• Turkey – Abundance, Gratitude and Connection to Mother Earth by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on November 25, 2020 • ( 12 )

  

  In the United States turkeys are equated with Thanksgiving. But there is so much more to Turkey – a gentle creature who forms strong attachments. Reputed to be dumb, Turkey is in fact quite intelligent and curious, with the ability… Read More ›

• Cat – Mysterious and Magical by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on October 28, 2020 • ( 19 )

  

  Cat moves elegantly through our lives with grace, independence and an unquenchable self-assurance. “My dog believes its human; my cat believes its god” is a saying reflected by the beliefs of our ancestors. Since Neolithic days cats have been associated… Read More ›

• Doe – A Gentle Being by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on September 23, 2020 • ( 13 )

  

  A magical moment occurs when in the dappled light of forest trees you spot a gentle doe staring at you with her deep, dark, liquid eyes. We all feel the grace and peace she bestows – awestruck by an instant… Read More ›

• Salmon of Wisdom by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on August 26, 2020 • ( 15 )

  

  Salmon, ancient symbol of wisdom and transformation, has been venerated by humankind since our pre-historic days.There exists one cave painting of a life-sized salmon – most likely part of a more complex composition – in the l’Abri de Poisson cave… Read More ›

• Butterfly – Soul Transformation by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on June 24, 2020 • ( 9 )

  

  I offer this look at the life and stories of Butterfly as a healing salve for our very troubled world. In this time of great, world-wide transformation, as we grapple with the many, many racial, social, economic and environmental injustices… Read More ›

• Cow, Nursemaid to Humanity by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on May 27, 2020 • ( 17 )

  

  Our human connection to Cow goes back to the days of prehistory. Aurochs (wild oxen), cattle’s wild ancestors, are found in prehistoric cave art throughout Europe, India and Africa. About 10,500 years ago modern cattle were domesticated from only 80… Read More ›

• Dolphin – Friendly Guide, Ambassador of Peace and Play by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on April 22, 2020 • ( 10 )

  

  Anyone who has seen dolphins frolicking in the sea, understands the allure of these mysterious creatures who live in the water and yet are not fish. Highly intelligent and communicative, Dolphin inspires a sense of joy in our hearts. Often… Read More ›

• The Mountain and the Goddess by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on March 25, 2020 • ( 26 )

  

  Mother Earth does not discriminate. She cares for all her children in all their varied forms. Our ancient ancestors considered Earth and its many geological elements to be feminine and/or associated with goddesses – from caves, to rivers, lakes and… Read More ›

• The Truth Revealed by Coronavirus – It’s All Connected by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on March 19, 2020 • ( 13 )

  

  Coronavirus is revealing many truths to this world – a world grounded in the patriarchal consciousness of domination and separation for millennia. Though still on the fringes of social awareness, the ancient wisdom of community and connection remains alive and… Read More ›

• The Serpent and the Goddess by Judith Shaw

  By Judith Shaw on February 26, 2020 • ( 38 )

  

  The otherworldly energy of Snake – it’s vitality, its uncanny ability to sense danger, and its ability to shed its skin and reappear as if reborn must have invoked feelings of awe in our ancestors. All across the pre-historic world… Read More ›

• 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 • ( 25 )

  

  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 ›