Welcome to The Age of Aquarius

An Astrological Age lasts for about 2100 years and it's name has to do with which constellation the Sun is in at the time of the Vernal Equinox. For complicated reasons, it is difficult to ascertain the exact year- even decade- we enter a new Age. We know that since the time of Jesus' birth we have lived in the Piscean Age- an age of the rise of religion and wars to defend and promote these religions. Hippies, Mystics and Optimists look to the New Age of Aquarius as one of "harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding" as the song goes. An Age where the Aquarian principles of mass communication, technology and philanthropy unite mankind.

Apparently, the ancient Mayan civilization also recognized that great epochs of history come into being, take on a distinct character and then pass away into the next. There seems to be quite a controversy over the end of our current Age. Some fear that by the end of 2012 all life as we know it will end. We've heard this before-yes?

To those of you fearing the doom of the Mayan Prophesies of global destruction, take heart. Maybe those old prophets simply saw one way of life yielding to one in which all people on Earth are more connected, more equal and more willing to share our precious resources. In America, where we have so much it will be harder for us to make that sacrifice, but as the doors of our perception are cleansed, we will surely rise to the needs of our global neighbors. I believe it will happen in our lifetime- for all the war, hatred and strife that surround us, things are getting better as our consciousness grows.

As Martin Luther King said “I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eyes reach but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice.”

The Arts and Crafts Movement Revisited

In the early 1860's William Morris and other influential artists who called themselves The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood established a decorative arts firm which came to be known as Morris and Company. They sought to bring a return to a romanticised medieval ideal of the simple pleasures of home and hearth, pride in workmanship and lack of pretense to a world blighted by the Industrial Age. They created tapestries, stained glass, painted furniture, cloth and wallpaper- all by hand using skilled artisans. For the first time in history the craftsman's status was raised to that of an Artist.

I've spent many years in the decorative art world, and there were times when I felt that I wasn't a "real" artist. But now I realize that all art has a purpose and value. Our homes are sacred, and the objects we choose to surround ourselves with become part of us. When my art is invited to be a part of someone's sacred space I feel very humble. In this age of cheap, disposable objects those who feel the need to have original art are rare indeed.

This piece is for my own home. The painting is adapted from designs for tiles painted by Edward Burne-Jones for the Morris Company.

Transform

In Metamorphoses, Ovid weaves together tales of gods, goddesses and mortals through the theme of change- of transformations. My little artwork here was inspired by his story of Apollo and Daphne: Apollo had insulted Cupid and as punishment, was shot by an arrow which caused him to fall hopelessly in love with Daphne. Daphne in turn had been shot with a leaden arrow, which caused her to refuse Apollo's love. In his burning passion, Apollo pursued her, literally chased her, until she begged her father, the river god Peneus to change her form so as to save her from his, and perhaps her own, carnal desires. Peneus changed her form to that of a Laurel tree (from whence comes the name of this blog!) Apollo lovingly tends this tree throughout eternity- her leaves are imbued with his own immortality and are ever green and become his symbol as well as the crown of leaders, scholars and poets.

Although this is obviously a tragic tale of unrequited love and repressed sexuality, this story also speaks to larger issues of living an authentic, and human life. Daphne refused a form of transformation- that of child to woman- and in her refusal was thus changed anyway. I spoke to my daughter Ashley about this recently who reminded me that Joseph Campbell writes in "The Power of Myth" that again and again in countless traditions the hero who refuses the call to the Quest is often turned into a non-human form. By rejecting Life's imperative to live fully and to our true nature we are utterly lost.