Are you familiar with the Wheel of the Year?
If no, here’s the Cole’s Notes: The Wheel of the Year observes the four solar events (solstices and equinoxes) and the four seasonal festivals between them, marking the cycle of the seasons. These are celebrated by modern pagans and Wiccans in varying ways, and come to us via various historical and semi-historical information.
Ancient Europeans celebrated some or all of these markers as part of their agriculture/husbandry-centered societies. As a city-dweller, I’m far removed from the agricultural cycle. All the same, I’ve found it valuable to observe the cycle of the seasons.
Personally, it helps me appreciate and enjoy any season we happen to be in. I used to resent the weather, and now find I am more harmonious with it. I appreciate the lack of conflict with something entirely out of my control!
For more information on the Wheel of the Year, Wikipedia is a good place to start!
Magnolias
One of my favorite early spring events is the blooming of the magnolias.
I decided to use this event as inspiration for portrait of the personification of Ostara.
Ostara marks the Spring Equinox, which is March 20. We in the north will be halfway to the summer solstice.
Starting Ostara
I started working on the painting at the beginning of March.
It took four weeks before she was finally finished!
Life happened. I made some choices. I missed the deadline of the equinox.
An earlier version of myself would have been very unhappy that I missed the deadline. Perhaps so unhappy as to give up on the painting altogether.
A case of “I didn’t get it done on time, so what’s the point of finishing it?” There are many paintings of mine no one will ever see (including me) because I gave up on them too quickly. I’ve written before about persevering when things feel hard.
Ordinary Courage
It takes a bit of courage to sit with the discomfort of failure, of missing the deadline, of disappointing myself. I haven’t always had the courage to accommodate that discomfort. So paintings sputtered out.
The discomfort of failure can register as shame. I’m ashamed of giving up on some of my paintings in the past. So when I start a new one and falter (as inevitably I do, because human, and because art), that shame pops up and says some cruel things to me.
Ironically, those cruel admonitions make me stop instead of driving me forward. Courage is required to hold that shame and allow it to rest, and to deflate.
It’s even more intense when other people are involved. No one else was waiting for me to finish Ostara on time, so I haven’t disappointed other people (I think).
Missing the deadline is even more uncomfortable when someone else is waiting for your work. There’s more shame involved, and it requires quite a lot more courage to own your mistake and move forward anyway.
Despite what the cruel voice of shame says, in my lived experience, I’ve found the majority of people to be understanding of missing a deadline (everyone has done it). Especially if you keep them in the loop about your progress.
Finishing
You know what?
I’m really glad I didn’t give up on Ostara.
Finishing her, and being able to share her with you now was worth the discomfort!
Ostara is shown with a soft dawn breaking behind her, representing the return of the light.
My favorite early spring event is the blooming of the magnolias, so she’s crowned in magnolia blossoms. She is depicted in shades of gentle brown with hair the color of young leaves, echoing the budding trees.
She holds a glowing pink sphere, symbolizing the power of this season, while clouds of sparkles float at her temple. Ostara’s gaze is soft, her smile tender.
She reflects the quiet energy of the world just slipping out of the mantle of its long winter sleep.
See all of her sisters in The Wheel of the Year Collection.