After several extraordinarily hot dry days in a row, our latent monsoonal pattern returned from its hiatus yesterday. Blue-black thunderheads amassed to the north and east all day, finally sweeping over the land in short sharp bursts of rain throughout the evening. The skies lowered amidst the cover of cobalt clouds, pierced occasionally by bright shafts of light, eventually sending the rain to dance along the arc of a dual rainbow.
At such times, it’s possible to believe that this place holds special power, a land held fast in the embrace of magic and mystery.
It feels like sacred space.
Wings has always treated it thus, of course. This land has been in his family, for all practical purposes, for what counts as forever. In the years since he assumed personal stewardship of this bit of earth, he has become reacquainted with the land on an intimate scale. He knows the substance and texture of the soil, the gradient of its surface, the plant spirits it nurtures and the other living beings with whom we share it. This land is, in a fundamental way, a part of him, as he is of it. It is a connection that is increasingly difficult to find in the modern world, and when it presents itself, it is a gift of incalculable value.
It should be no surprise, then, that this land, its earth and sky, its waters and light, should serve as an unending source of inspiration for his work. Every day, the view changes: a shift in the angle of the light, an alteration in color or scent or feel, the arrival of some new being who sees in this place the possibility of sanctuary. All are manifestations of the sacred, and we are blessed to have their presence with us daily. We need no church, no structure built by human hands: As he says, this is our cathedral, this warm red earth beneath a vaulted blue sky. It is sacred space.
These are the the spirits that inspired and infused today’s featured work. It was one of three complementary pieces, cuff, ring, and earrings: a collection in miniature whose elements were nonetheless designed to stand on their own. Of the three pieces (the other two now sold), it was this one that most embodied the spirit of this place. From its description in the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
Sacred Space Cuff Bracelet
We walk in two worlds, maintaining our connection to our own world and to the real sacred space of our traditions. This space is tangible, intangible, and wholly spiritual: the space that lives forever in our hearts and spirits and ancestral memory. This cuff manifests this space in all its forms. The magical, mysterious lapis cabochon, drawn from the Earth and the color of our sacred waters, rests atop the band in a scalloped bezel trimmed in twisted silver. The sky symbols that are the harbingers of rain and other blessings, of life in the desert, trace the center and edges of the cuff. And the thunderhead symbols are brought together, conjoined in an ancient pattern that evokes the steps to the sacred space of our kiva.
Sterling silver; lapis lazuli
$775 + shipping, handling, and insurance
Today, more rains are expected, more cobalt clouds riding shafts of silvery light. After the last week of extreme heat and bone-dry air, the earth will welcome the gift of the rain, if it chooses to fall. So will we.
But even with the changeability of the weather, of the seasons, of the light itself, one thing remains constant here: the blessing, the gift, the great good fortune to live our days in sacred space.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2016; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owners.
