Mouths to Feed

Poem

By: Jarce ArtThor



So many mouths to feed!

I'd rather bleed then believe,

That we are all too blind to see,

That we breed and breed,

Until our seed is in need,

Of more food to feed,

Of more money to eat,

Of more room to breathe,

Until they open their jaws,

And snap down upon you and me.

Brother against brother

There's no place to flee.

Daughter against daughter,

There's no sanctity.

Only pain to see,

As our children face a future of insanity.

It's plain to see,

That we went forth and multiplied

With vanity.

Now we're damned to be,

Living in this world

That has no idea what to offer these,

Ever-growing mouths to feed.













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Cone of Power

This piece is a depiction of a sequence from my upcoming novel, Goddess in Flames. After a hellacious battle, emotionally and physically spent, Brigid wanders off into the woods alone. She sets up her alter, and summons a cone of power, creating a link to her blessed instruments with her own inner essence. Tapping into the spirit world through a state of deep meditation, she calls upon the otherworldly beings in search of spiritual guidance.
Notice her strong biceps. I originally started this piece just to illustrate how physically powerful this character is. In my story she is forced to wear long sleeves to cover her toned Physique, for during this time period it was unfitting for a woman to possess such strength. One of the many important details to look for in my book. It was a very superstitious and restrictive time period.


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Ceridwen

My adaptation of Celtic Goddess Ceridwen.



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Pagan Disney!

Disney has always had a secret love for Pagan culture. Brave is just one of their latest creations that tips a hat to the ways of the old religions. A story about a strong Celtic young woman who is so independent, and strong willed that when the day arrives for her to be married she does everything in her power to fight off her preset destiny as a woman. Challenging all the warriors that have come to compete for her hand, she enters her own skills into the games in order to win her independence; to prove the power of the Goddess. The imagery of this piece is breathtaking. But there are many other Disney cartoons that pay tribute to the beauty of pagan cultures that few have ever noticed.



Beauty and the Beast is the tale about a shapeshifter. Shapeshifting was a big part of Celtic culture. There are so many stories about men and woman who by divine, or magical means transform into wolves, and owls, and cats, and so on and so forth. Sometimes the men our cursed, some are almost angelic in nature, others accidentally consume a drop of a magic potion that gives them the knowledge and power of all of the world, and in order to survive they must shapeshift into various creatures to escape the vengeful clutch of Cerridwen. There are so many stories about humanoid shapeshifters, a symbol of our connection with animals, and the changing seasons of our world. The fact that this story begins with the curse of a witch, that after being treated unfavorably by the Prince, she transformed him into a hideous beast who must learn to love in order to turn back, proves that it was indeed inspired by those old Celtic legends. Granted the tale was originally conceived by a French author, and though France was very much inspired by the Roman Catholic movement, they are quite near to the Celtic British Isles and enjoyed sharing their tales and legends. Their are many who believe that Joan of Arc, the heroic saint from France, was too deeply rooted in Pagan tradition. No doubt that the Anabaptist movement who unfortunately shared the fate of the Witches during the Burning Times, were influenced by some of their neighbor's pagan wisdom in the Netherlands; landing Joan's home in Lorraine right in between them both. The shape shifting Beast who was once consumed by hatred and rapacious greed, yet sacrifices his life for true love in the cartoon we all know and love ourselves, was definitely inspired by those old legends.



Mermaids are apart of a vast mythology that spreads from Greece to the Middle East and beyond. Many cultures have stories detailing the existence of Mermaids. But this particular story about a young and curious female mermaid who seeks to live on earth as a human for the love of a man, and is betrayed by a maniacal sea-witch, could be seen as a symbol of how the demonization of pagans destroyed the beauty and innocence of the power of the Goddess. In Hans Christian Andersen's version of "The Little Mermaid" that inspired the animated film, Ursula was actually quite a neutral character in the tale. She allowed Ariel to make her decisions, and suffer the consequences of her choices. She wasn't evil per sey. Perhaps I am reading a little more than is actually there in the Disney adaptation, but that is how I took it. Also her father Triton is based on the Greek god who fathered two daughters. His Goddess daughters were Pallas and the foster child Athena. Athena (goddess of courage, law, war, and various other things) kills Pallas in the mythology; perhaps the reason why Ariel often quarreled with her sisters, and was an odd ball in her under water community in the cartoon. Plus she has red hair, long regarded as a symbol of the Goddess. If you look hard enough at that one, you'll find pagan symbols everywhere.



One of my personal favorites! Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a story that shows how the apple transformed feminine power into an evil force. In the book of Genesis it is Eve who is the first to be wooed by the serpent into eating the apple from the tree of knowledge of good and evil; and so the demonization of the Goddess had begun. In Disney's Snow White, she is tricked into eating a poison apple by a Witch; pretty obvious that one was a message on how the apple in the bible set the course for turning Witches (usually seen as female sorcerers) into sinister creatures. And dwarfs are the mysterious mountain men that stem from Germanic pagan mythology.



Have you ever heard of The Green Man? The spirit of the seedlings that escapes during harvest season, reeking havoc until he is captured to ensure yet another great harvest next year? It is an old Celtic legend, and the Origen of such fantasy Heroes as Robin Hood and Peter Pan. This story derives from the mind of a Scottish author, (Scotland is part of the Celtic lands, The British Isles) J. M. Barrie. The story of a young boy who takes children to another world called Neverland, where they deal with Faeries, mermaids, and pirates. The Fay (faeries) are a huge part of Celtic mythology, and Neverland is very much like the Isle of Apples, also known as The Otherworld. Not to mention that adventures of great peril are apart of almost every Celtic story.
***
I can go on and on about this topic, but to wrap it all up, there are pagan symbology in many Disney flicks. All you have to do is open your eyes, let them show you the Otherworld, and just wish upon a star. You just have to look for them. It's like an awesome Easter egg hunt... Funny thing about Easter eggs; guess where that tradition came from!

Brigid Abendroth

My character from my upcoming novel, Goddess in Flames, dodging and deflecting arrows. The buildup to this sequence in my story is so exciting.



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Old Basilica

There are so many fascinating mysteries and forgotten tales in this world. One of the most interesting stories in history is the all-inspiring, yet daunting journey of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, and the elevation of the Christian Rule. The grueling tale of St. Peter's demise that would ultimately pave the land for the foundation of The Pope's kingdom, and the development of the legendary Basilica is a gripping one indeed. My upcoming novel Goddess in Flames will give you a taste of that amazing story, but I hope that all of you will take some time to research St. Peter's Basilica in depth . The rise of the Christian power really is one of the Greatest Stories Ever Told, and I believe it is an important historical monument of how such a dominant power structure can effect the whole of the world.
The figure that is featured in this piece is an artist's rendering of what the Old St. Peter's Basilica looked like before it was rebuilt.


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news!

So I have unintentionally started a new novel last week. A powerful story that follows a young girl as she struggles over the loss of her best friend in a tragic car accident, and the man responsible for the death as he tries to reconcile with the families of whom he has damaged as a result of his reckless actions. A tale about love, anger, loss, and the greatest challenge to those whom have lost everything; forgiveness.
More info on that project as it develops. The working title is Heaven's Valley.
In other news, I'll be taking a break from the Chronicles stories to really focus on the development of my upcoming historic fiction, Goddess in Flames. I'm hoping to have a few more short stories ready to post in a week or two. I want to creat at least ten Chronicle stories which are all set in the world of GIF, but it all boils down on the spare time I will have available to me from now and until the deadline of my historic fiction. However, that is not to say that once I free up some space in my schedule after I finish the book, that I won't continue to write more Chronicle stories. I have tons of ideas for that. I may even release a book later that will contain all of my short stories that were set in that world.
This week I am also beginning an all new pinup sketch. I'll post the snap shots of my progress here on my blog.
Speaking of art! Next week on the 5th of February, I will be heading out to Tampa Bay to draw live caricatures at the Florida State Fair, which starts on the 6th. I hope to see you all there!


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