WaterBearer

WaterBearer - Council Suit

Seena Frost, the originator and developer of SoulCollage®, wondered last year whether other folks had WaterBearer SoulCollage cards in their decks. If so, she asked them if they were willing to display them in an exhibition. The answer was an enthusiastic “yes”. I wanted to make a card for the WaterBearer in order to participate. Alas, no images emerged that engaged me. Darn. The exhibit went up without my card.

The exhibition happened. Twice. First at Galeria Tontantzin. Next Sue Volpi Gelber (with help from Sara Post) displayed the exhibit at the Davis Art Center, Davis, California. And, now, the WaterBearer exhibit is virtual. Anne Marie Bennett has put up many of the cards shown in the WaterBearer Exhibit on her website. There is also a great article by Seena concerning this powerful archetype. I have posted some cards from the exhibit on Show Off! Another place to view the cards and article is at Mili Ballard's site SoulCollagers' Respite.

So, with all this inspiration flowing around me, I found the images (ok, they found me) for my WaterBearer card (pictured above) . I have not made many Council cards, and I felt a bit tongue tied when I began to speak. (“Will I measure up to the power of this awesome Presence?”) Then I remembered the wonderful Rilke* quote from Seena’s article, and I began to speak.

I am the one who is reflective.
I am the one who is life giving.
I am the one who is present with what preserves life.

The issue of water is monumental. Not only may we have reached Peak Oil, we may have reached Peak Water. Now there’s a problem! Or a bigger problem may be that we have water—but not where we want it and it’s moving so fast!! Hello, Katrina. Hello, Rita. Helloooo.

Today is the last day of the 4th World Water Forum. You can check out what they have been doing there in Mexico City. I’m sure WaterBearer is a witness to our renewed interest and activity on her behalf.

WaterBearer, we come to you as petitioners, as devotees. You have our attention. Let us hear you wisdom. Guide us.

* Rainer Maria Rilke
Let no one say that I don’t love life, the eternal Presence: I pulsate in her; she bears me; she gives me the spaciousness of this day, the primeval workday for me to make use of, and over my existence flings , in her magnanimity, nights that have never been. Her strong hand is above me, and if she should hold me under, submerged in fate, I would have to learn how breathe down there. Even her most lightly entrusted mission fills me with songs of her; although I suspect that all she really wants is for me to be vibrant as she is. (Fragment of an Elegy, Appendix to Duino Elegies, translated by Stephen Mitchell)

Seena describes a beautiful ritual she does that includes memorizing and saying these lines as homage to WaterBearer. I'm going to try it. Read her article for more information.