“Truly feminine modes of interaction can’t help but uncover artifacts of experience buried
beneath the preconceived notions of our mechanized world, evidence of a time when horses
taught people a thing or two and were respected for their inherent wisdom.”
Linda Kohanov
“Even without realizing it, we still recognized and affiliate ourselves with cave etchings and
drawings thousands of years old. Their influence over us continued even as their origins and
early appearances disappeared. However, the subliminal interaction and acceptance lies within
us constantly, dormant but ever-present.”
John R. Ward
Welcome to Week One
In this week’s lesson we will learn the techniques to create a textured, multilayered cave wall. The cave wall represents the place where we, as women, have carried and embedded our innate, ancestral wisdom for countless generations. This is the place where we will begin to encode the retrieved symbols and messages that carry deep personal meaning to us.
Symbols are a non-verbal, universal language that all humans understand on a subliminal level. The horse has been used as a symbol since prehistoric times, etched onto cave walls as far back as 40,000 years ago, perhaps because they were considered prey animals for food, or perhaps more symbolically, for ritualistic purposes where their power was taken on in shamanic practices, empowering the dreamer with their attributes.
Techniques Lesson 1 – download here.
Techniques Lesson 2 – download here.
This week I invite you to notice the symbols and stories that have woven themselves into your life as familial and ancestral heritage, cultural customs, or deep seated memories. What do these stories tell you about who you are today?
Week One Journal Inquiries
How does my ancestral past relate to my present day life, and what wisdom would my ancestors want me to know?
If I were to leave behind a story for my children or for my future self by using symbols, what would that look like?
How have horses played a role in my life?