Description

This is a devotional piece in response to the songs of Susan Paramor for her new album “In the Arms of the Goddess” (see links to Susan’s website below) and in honour of a majestic mother Yew tree growing on the ancient lands of chalk and flint.

The journey began when Susan and I came together to weave some art magick. What was initially an album cover, soon became a piece of devotional art to the goddess, to our goddess.

On one visit to the witches house on the hill she introduced me to a mother Yew tree and her children in a grove near where she lived in the heart of Wiltshire. The evening before, snuggled beside the hearth I had listened to a song Susan had recently written called “In the Arms of the Goddess” and I heard her lyrics in my mind the next day under the arms of mother Yew…“I hear her call, I hear you call … the goddess calls to me to you” and from this initial meeting and in the following months I listened and this is what I created.

The goddess is the wild, earth goddess, mother goddess of nature, Gaia mother earth… To me she is Elen of the Ways and she shows us the paths to follow where we walk lightly beside nature and not trample through…She stands in the tree as she is the tree, mother Yew ancient and wise… From her arms pour the sacred springs, waterfalls of abundance with all the spirits of land, sea and sky bursting forth…

To the left we have the priestess maiden, she stands arms outstretched in devotion, one hand in the cascade and in the other butterflies dance. This side of the painting is a celebration of life at its peak, buzzing with growth and fertility. On the other side is the dark half, the time for sleeping and dreaming… There the Cailleach crone rests amidst the roots and old shed branches of mother Yew, the quiet and the storm. The white stag, protector and heart of the wild stands guard in the night till dawn breaks again and the circle of living energy continues to flow round and round. All forms of the goddess have their separate lessons as well as singing to us in one voice. She reminds us that although we live out our lives as individuals we are always connected to the whole, forever spinning and weaving in the dance of life, death and rebirth.

Some of the lyrics by Susan Paramor that resonate through the piece.

Sat by a waterfall I hear you call…the goddess calls to me, to you…

The lady spoke to me of earth, sky and sea…

Gaia spoke to me of earth’s fertility…

In the arms of the goddess I leave my heart…

With the hands of the goddess I cast my spells…

From the mouth of the goddess pour our songs …

In the arms of the goddess I trust my soul…”

Link to find the music of Susan Paramor Car Dia:

https://pagansongs.com/