As the New Age progresses, there are growing numbers off New Agers who gather up the things that fit their soul and discard that which does not. The New Age began in the USA as mostly women found a type of collective consciousness that does not rebel against organized religions, but began to take those parts of their childhood religious upbringing and gathered with others who were finding a new way to express their spirituality. They began to feel more empowered than most religions ‘allowed’ for women to be. There became a wave of women, and then men, who joined them, who gathered in astrology, numerology, tarot reading, ceremonies, etc., that fit their need for spirituality that empowered rather than judged and was inclusive not divisive. They were tired of their spirituality being burdened with the ‘sins of Eve’ Patriarchal religions. New Agers tend to follow the ideology that all things in the Universe are one, that all things have spirit, and that everything in creation has divinity already and should be honored and respected as such. They, as well, see the world as a Mother and seek the feminine in all things soulful and spiritual. In the art world, you begin to see more and more angels in the artwork, that are feminine, for example, rather than angels/messengers as male. Feminine angels, and the assimilation of angels as goddesses, began to show up in art of those with New Age beliefs.
Most New Agers tend to see angels/goddesses as energy. And that energy is seen, for many New Agers, as healing energy that can be called on to help with body, mind, heart and soul comfort and compassion, as guides, as symbolic Mother/Grandmothers, for help in dealing with feminine life. Some do not see angels as having wings, but see them a moving faster than the speed of light so light flow behind them and can be thought of as wings. Many artists begin paintings and artistic expression of what others may call angels as goddesses, only, not labeling them as angels but symbolically they are a type of angels.
Once, angels were always male. Back in ancient times, birds were seen as messengers, and this is seen from Ancient Greece and Rome. I would suppose our earliest humans saw birds as soaring closest to Creator and had some kind of message to bring to those bound to earth. Eventually Messengers became represented as male and feathered. Christianity firmly planted male and feathered in the religion. At the time of the Renaissance, was when male with wings showed up in art. It evolved to where Messengers were all about light and color and the idea of angels with wings and feathers was first began with the artists, then the religions, borrowed this ideology and firmly planted this in their spiritual conditioning.
As for me, I often will do angel art and when there are lessons being taught on artistically expressing angels, I will follow along with the teacher who might see feathery angel wings, but when doing anything ‘Spiritual Messenger’, I tend to do goddesses. This art piece was to evoke a response from those who believe angels have wings, although, the head-wrapping is my small smile about keeping her a goddess.
If you chose to express ‘Angel’, how would you express it?
©Carol Desjarlais 01. 11. 20
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