“WHEN WE ARE really awake to the life of our senses—when we are really watching with our animal eyes and listening with our animal ears—we discover that nothing in the world around us is directly experienced as a passive or inanimate object. Each thing, each entity meets our gaze with its own secrets and, if we lend it our attention, we are drawn into a dynamic interaction wherein we are taught and sometimes transformed by this other being.”
—David Abram, “Trust Your Senses”
Sometimes in the rush of our lives we forget to stop and take notice that every little thing (material or natural) pulses within a field of energy. This interconnected Source produces the essence that generates life. It also determines the unique qualities and characteristics of everything we touch plus everything that touches us. Throughout history this vital force has been referred to as subtle body, Zero Point Field, prana, qi (chi), primordial cosmic energy— Divine Intelligence. My tree series called Axis Mundi expresses and celebrates this inherent Intelligence as it moves through and around nature.
Axis Mundi means earth axis. It is a cross-cultural symbol that takes many forms, and appears in almost every region of the world. It symbolizes a bridge or connection between sky and earth or between the spiritual and the physical. The symbol is both feminine and masculine. It often takes the form of a natural object such as a mountain, or a tree. Human-made objects such as totems, towers, pillars and crosses are also often associated with Axis Mundi.
I recognize trees, as Axis Mundi. The trees I have chosen to paint are city trees. I pass by them every day. They are complex. They are grounded in the expression, anatomy and motion of ordinary people, dancers and yogis. Their roots are firmly planted, while their branches reach towards the ethereal sky. These trees are symbols that express the potential of our lives. They get tangled, bend, curve and sometimes even break; yet they are always resilient and continue to aspire towards their highest potential.
As we move towards the promise of a New Year, may the trees in and around your lives inspire a dialogue of hope, peace and transcendence. —Many Blessings, Michele
Within the tides of earth breathing—Axis Mundi means earth axis. It is a cross-cultural symbol that takes many forms, and appears in almost every region of the world. It symbolizes a bridge or connection between sky and earth or between the spiritual and the physical. The symbol is both feminine and masculine. It often takes the form of a natural object such as a mountain, or a tree. Human-made objects such as totems, towers, pillars and crosses are also often associated with Axis Mundi.
I recognize trees, as Axis Mundi. The trees I have chosen to paint are city trees. I pass by them every day. They are complex. They are grounded in the expression, anatomy and motion of ordinary people, dancers and yogis. Their roots are firmly planted, while their branches reach towards the ethereal sky. These trees are symbols that express the potential of our lives. They get tangled, bend, curve and sometimes even break; yet they are always resilient and continue to aspire towards their highest potential.
As we move towards the promise of a New Year, may the trees in and around your lives inspire a dialogue of hope, peace and transcendence. —Many Blessings, Michele
blood-red river inhaling/exhaling...
ascending heart first wearing kaleidoscope eye caps—
My left pinkie toe pinched between narrow branches,
oh sometimes it can feel so cold-stone, silvery-blue.
oh sometimes it can feel so cold-stone, silvery-blue.
"I will not fly away," I say it over and over again.
Grounded in choosing colors that remind me to believe
in soul secrets and trust. —mo
To view the complete Axis Mundi Tree Series please click here.
Click here to read an Article about Michele regarding this series
