Shadow

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The digital artwork called Shadow was created in the same year as Moment of Recognition, and also drew inspiration from the Siddha Yoga Message for 2000, Believe in Love.

The imagery in Shadow deals with the hidden side of our personality and the unconscious mind. Overcoming our shortcomings, psychological concepts, and unwanted influences from our unconscious mind allows the real experience of unconditional love, both human and divine, to unfold. In addition, the imagery and symbolism in the piece Shadow signify the Great Unknown within us from which deep healing takes place.

The Symbol of The Fish

In many ancient civilizations the fish is associated with the Great Mother Goddess. Its shape is the outline of her vulva. The Greek word "delphos" means both fish and womb. Out of the womb – the container and incubator of life – creation comes. The Egyptian Goddess Isis was called the Great Fish of the Abyss. (1) The term "abyss" implies the great void out of which all emerges and eventually returns. In the past, many cultures ate fish on Friday – the day of the week dedicated to honoring the Goddess.

In India, people worship the Goddess Meenakshi in the temple of Madurai. Meenakshi means "one that has the eyes shaped like fish." The temple at Vaithisvarankoil is dedicated to Shiva – Supreme Consciousness. Here, Shiva is worshipped as the healer and people go to the Temple to be cured. Before entering the holy sacrum for worship, devotees feed the fish in the temple's pond. The relationship between the healer (Shiva) and fish (feeding of the fish) is still prevalent today.

Christians have traditionally used the symbol of the fish and continue to use it today. The word fish in Greek is ICHTHUS, which is an acronym for Jesus Christ, God's son the Savior. Also, the name Jesus derives from the Greek Iesous. In Greek mythology, Iesous was a healing god. (2) Jesus, too, was a healer. In the past and present, many religious celebrations or meals involve fish or symbolism around fish. Christians took up the practice of eating fish on Friday as a remembrance of Good Friday and doing penitence. Also, the Jewish month of Passover corresponds to the month of the "Fish," or Pisces of the zodiac.

The geometric figure for the fish shape is a vesica, made through the shared area of two overlapping circles. The word vesica is a variation for Pisces of the zodiac, giving an astrological connection. The symbol for Pisces is two fish facing opposite directions. The astrological meaning of Pisces deals basically with the subconscious or hidden nature of things. This sign rules over the areas of life that are unresolved.

In this digital piece, the fish symbolizes the female creative power, healing energy, and the hidden nature of things. The Great Goddess is the creative power of Supreme Consciousness. In some traditions, this power is known as Kundalini. When awakened from her dormant state, Kundalini purifies all aspects of our being. The hidden, fragmented parts of ourselves are revealed through the inner workings of Kundalini. Transformation happens as fragments are integrated, false-concepts are dissolved, and limitations are removed – resulting in a wholeness of being and the attainment of our full potential. This state full potential is a state of unconditional love in which we recognize the presence of the divine within ourselves and all of creation. Through this process, we gain ever-increasing access to our true nature of pure bliss and unity awareness.

Abstract Imagery

The use of semi-abstract imagery in the piece encourages greater personal interpretation and emotional response to the shapes, color and texture. The barely recognizable forms of fish and words serve as a starting point for illuminating our subconscious mind as the viewer. The words "delve" and "dissolve", inviting us to contemplate our hidden tendencies and unresolved issues and, in the process, dissolve or transform them. Embedded in the piece are vague looking images that allow the viewer to project his or her own meanings and associations. These forms act upon the subconscious mind much the same way as the Rorschach ink blots do. Making associations with shapes and other art elements help us (as the viewer) to discover aspects of the subconscious mind. View Ways to Participate in the Experience of Art for methods using art for self-discovery and contemplation.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_symb.htm
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