Red Root Rabbit Mask by Khiri Lee | Papier Mache & Paint (2019)
This blog post is about the first mask, Red Root Rabbit, created for the Prismic Vision NYE event hosted by the Body Earth Collective in Longmont. Read my previous posts about this event to learn more about the beginnings of the process as a whole and the success of the actual event. There will be six more posts, one for each mask. Be sure to Follow my blog to catch all the updates. I am looking forward to sharing more deeply about the process I went through with each mask.
The Beginnings
Bringing together the constellation of symbols and meanings for each mask and altar was quite the task, however it began evolve into a unique mythology for the event. When I began the endeavor of creating seven animal masks for Prismic Vision New Years Eve in December I at first thought I would create them in the order of the Chakras, or the Rainbow, that inspired their colors.
And I did begin with the Red Root Rabbit, which is the expected place to start. However, beyond starting with Rabbit, which was the smoothest to create, the others were created in a mixed up mash of pieces and parts that wandered from one animal to the next in the most watery way.
It had been many years since I last worked with Papier Mache. I created the armature for the Rabbit mask with a balloon, paper, masking tape, and some styrofoam from a pair of boots. I used many reference photos from Pinterest (what an amazing resource!) which helped me stay on course. In the end I was quite proud of the likeness of a rabbit I created. The intention was to have masks that had a grand presence of their own in the space, which lead to them being quite large.
Working with Rabbit Medicine and the Energy of Red Root
The root vibrates with the color red. Red is the color of blood, passion, and action. It is a highly stimulating color filled with warmth and vitality. It encourages movement. The Root is the first chakra, located at the base of the spine, the pelvis, and down through to our feet. It is associated with Courage, Finding Ground, and the Mantra for this Chakra that I was working with was “I am Safe.”
Red Rabbit – Root Altar Sketch
When the Rabbit appeared in the Oracle it was unexpected and simultaneously wonderfully apt, like so many of the animal allies that came in for this event. I loved the initial images of a blood red rabbit that sprang into my mind. Rabbit, with their big feet, are in deep connection with the ground, and have a strong sense of erotic intelligence, which the lower chakras hold domain over.
The Mask in the Space
The Dance Floor at Prismic Vision NYE – Photo Credit: Jack Jameson
The weaving that Maria and Joy brought into the story, through the choreography of the opening procession, was conquering fear and the quantum leap. The leap symbolized the growth that we all see and hope for in our communities toward a wild new way of living, loving, and being on the Earth. In the Procession we carried Margo, who was aspecting the Rabbit for the event, across the room in a dynamic show of community and flight. Unfortunately very few photos of the Opening Procession were captured, which in some ways is deeply appropriate, as ritual space is beyond the veil of pros
Red Root Altar at Prismic Vision NYE
The Red Root Rabbit Altar was on the dance floor, mirroring the ecstatic movement of dancing in spirit. Below are the words found on the Altar:
Red – Root – Rabbit
Energetic of Great Leaps of Consciousness.
The Energy of Conquering Fear.
Fertility.
Making hops, leaps, and rapid turns are a comfortable and natural choice for Rabbit. You don’t follow a linear smooth path, so trust your instincts for where to jump next. Rabbit plans for all possibilities.
As you plan, notice your fears and explore them. Are they just an exaggerated story? Where does that story come from? Are you worrying about something in the past or future? Ask yourself what’s actually happening right now, in this moment. – Tanya Casteel
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Follow my blog to read about the other six animal masks. The next mask in the series is the Orange – Sacral – Skunk.
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