No, the name does not come from the James Taylor song. Our peoples have paired elemental powers this way since time immemorial, physically, conceptually, descriptively, nominatively. There’s nothing pop-culture about today’s featured work.
One dynamic that our peoples have long understood, and one that we re-enact on a daily basis, if the role the elements play in cleansing, in purification. Water, of course, sluices off dust and dirt, cleansing surfaces. It’s a change that’s visible to the naked eye, and it’s easy to understand why cultures the world over pair water with purification in the practice of spiritual traditions. Our peoples have our own, of course, but it’s not only us: The chief religious practice associated with the dominant culture in this country gives primacy to water as purifier, featuring baptism as a necessary step on the road to salvation.
But fire purifies in a deeper, more intrinsic sense, burning off impurities and transforming its object into something new, often something stronger. It’s used in mining and smithing processes: smelting, to burn off impurities and separate the pure precious metal from the the earth in which it was found; in annealing, to strengthen the metal’s internal composition and remove inconsistencies; in tempering, to shore up its strength while imparting enough flexibility to prevent fracture.
Wings uses these processes in his art daily, combining the transforming forces of purifying fire with the tempering power of cleansing water. But it’s a combination that is reflected in our day-to-day activities, as well. Some traditions require ritual baths as cleansing acts in certain contexts: after a community member walks on, for example. Others (perhaps virtually all of us, today) burn cedar and sage and sometimes other substances as a means of purification of body and spirit alike. And it’s no accident that tendrils of smoke are what carry our prayers to Spirit.
From their description in the Earrings Gallery:
Fire and Rain Earrings
Very old, intensely-hued cabochons of deep-red natural coral hang from delicate sterling silver wires, their flame-like color feeding into the warm coppery-gold matrix in the Skystones below. The asymmetrical turquoise stones, slightly free-form in shape, are a soft robin’s-egg blue with just a hint of soft summery green, each aswirl with cloud–like wisps of white host-rock matrix contrasting with the precious metals. The turquoise cabochons are set into hand-made scalloped bezels and trimmed with twisted silver; the coral, in hand-made smooth bezels. Earrings hang 2 inches long, exclusive of wires; stones (not including bezels) are 3/4″ long by 1/2″ across at the widest point (dimensions approximate).
Sterling silver; Cripple Creek turquoise; old natural branch coral
$425 + shipping, handling, and insurance
I admit to having a new pair of favorites. Yes, I love the new ones from last Wednesday, but the old coral in these seals it for me. And , of course, coral carries with it so many other connotations, so much additional power and symbolism: of the lifeblood, the animating spirit, of the force of the feminine. Their pairing here with Cripple Creek Skystones makes them perfect companions to yesterday’s featured work, fashioned of like materials in part from the very same source.
Purifying power? Yes.
Healing power? Yes.
Simply empowering? Absolutely.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2015; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
