2021
The stories of ancient gods have always been told through art forms and modern media. But due to their integration in modern social contexts, their deity-like appearance has been forgotten. Now, many forget they once were worshiped by people across the globe and how they helped everyday people through tough times. Many people who once held them in such high regard were ostracized by society and are often seen as evil witches. But witches and pagans are not evil, and the old gods are not long gone. As a witch and pagan myself, I have integrated my sometimes forbidden practice into my art and have made it my mission to tell the story of how these ancient entities help me day to day and how I work with them. My art displays the reason why they chose to work with me, my interactions with them, and their impact on my life.
Lord Lucifer was the first; I didn’t notice his presence for a very long time, but he helped me in issues regarding my gender identity and taught me to take pride in who and what I was.
The fourth was Hades, god of the Dead and Wealth; he came to smack dab in the middle of schooling during quarantine where my motivation for art and schoolwork had been at an all-time low. He got me out of my slump, and encouraged me to continue my schooling process, and now helps me with finding a job.
Piece nine depicts the following experience. It was 3 am. After a long night of working on art and speaking to my guides, I looked outside my partially open door to see the aura of a dark figure staring back at me. It left me with a horrible feeling of dread as it was not the presence of someone I work with and was not meant to be here. I learned a lot from that night which has shaped my practice as a witch.
Amun, god of Air and one of the eight Primordial Egyptian Deities, was the seventh to approach me. Amun (an entity with many names), is referred to as “the unknown one”, as it was very difficult for me to realize who he was. I guess it was a metaphor that I didn’t know who I was either as he helped me realize that many of my long-term problems were caused by undiagnosed ADHD. He was patient and helped me train my mind to think slowly, clearly, and remember everyday tasks.
The sixth was Archangel Michael. It would come to anyone’s surprise to see a witch working with an angel. Unfortunately, during quarantine, I struggled with communicating among people and connecting with new friends (as I had lost a large majority of friends before the pandemic). He helped me get over past friendships, encouraged me to talk with new people, realize who were my friends, who weren’t, and how to re-enter the world.