This NYE I was honored to have the opportunity to create seven magnificent animal masks for seven Prismic color altars and a ritual activation performance at Body Earth Collective’s Body Alive Prismic Vision event.
Activating the Avatars in the Opening Ceremony
The night was filled with beautiful spaces, beautiful people, nourishing food, nurturing workshops, evocative performances, and heartwarming music.
The Beginnings
In collaboration with Rachel Prairie-Wiebeck, Producer of the the event, and the amazing Joy Vita Verde, we designed the altars to meet the needs of each individual space, color, and animal.
Our goals were:
To create pockets for contemplation and introspection in every corner of the event.
To activate the magick of the seven colors which anchored the theme for the whole event and infused the spaces.
To charge the event with ritual and deeper meaning.
To showcase the seven animal masks, which were designed to amplify the mythic meaning for each color altar.
To unify the three levels of the event with sacred spaces in every room, connecting the colors in a continuous exploration of spectrum.
The Shrines
As an artist there is something truly magickal about seeing a sketch become a fully realized spectacle of beauty. Each shrine turned out better than I could have imagined, and our teams ability to bring to life the loose ideas from the sketches was utterly magnificent. The shrines came together on the day of the event with such ease, and the added a level of artistry to every space. I am so proud of how they came together.
Red Rabbit Root Altar
Red Rabbit Altar Sketch
The Ritual Activation
Maria Flegas of the Shamanic Dolls and Joy Vita Verde choreographed the richly symbolic opening ceremony for New Year’s Eve. The ritual traveled through each space, activating the animal ally and the prismic intention of every room. It was evocative, spontaneous, primal, and a powerful way to end the year. I participated as the Violet Snake, ending the prayerformance through the symbolic shedding of all the ancestral secrets, the other ritualists running their hands over my body, physically gesturing the pulling away of skin and secrets, just as the snake does with its own skin as it grows.
When I tune into my body I am still buzzing with the power of the ceremony. It was transcendent to hold space for ancestor, for change, for alchemy, for secrets, for the room of witness. I wanted to burst into tears. I wanted to cry out in exaltation. I want to thank Maria and Joy for creating such a powerful moment of performance and ritual.
I am still trying to track down any snatches of video of the opening ceremony to share with you all, but I fear that it was an ephemeral moment, only meant to be witnessed by those in the room at that time and place. Despite the lack of physical ephemera from the ceremony I am confident that the ripples of purpose are continuing to affect the year ahead.
The Masks
Green Heart Antelope – Papier Mache & Acrylic Paint (2019)
The animals for the seven masks were summoned through Oracle for the event. It was a tremendous journey creating each one, integrating them into the space and then the ceremony at New Year’s Eve. Each one was infused with intention, bringing a medicine into the room whether the participants were aware of the magic around them or not.
Visit the in depth blog posts which elaborate on the meaning and artistry that was infused into each Mask:
Red Root Rabbit | Orange Sacral Skunk | Golden Solar Plexus Swan | Green Heart Antelope | Blue Throat Bat | Indigo Third-Eye Hawk | Violet Crown Snake
My hope is to continue to create art with these masks. I see more ritual procession this year, keeping the magic of these animal allies alive through performance, costume, and play.
Thanks for Reading. Be Well.
