All the pieces in this series were cut from a single piece of ice dyed cotton cloth. That piece went through two dye sessions, one to create the overall color and one to add the detailed color patterns.
In the dyed patterns, I caught some of my first glimpses of my Muse’s influence on my work. Faces peered out at me from amid a fiery landscape. In all honesty, it was intimidating.
I began construction on Sekhmet’s Solar Flare in answer to the call for SAQA Trunk Show pieces. The call defined the size of the piece and gave me the start to my series. I cut and finished Ra’s Garden within days of completing Sekhmet’s Solar Flare. Maahe’s Day off was completed a month later.
The last piece, Heka’s Hideout, took me longer to complete. I saw Heka, then didn’t, then did, then didn’t. I needed to do some deeper Spiritual work before I was ready to work with Heka’s energy. It took me roughly a year after completing Maahe’s Day Off to work on Heka’s Hideout.
All these pieces were sewn on a domestic Bernina sewing machine using primarily free-motion stitching.
Sekhmet’s Solar Flare reminds us of our connection to the Fiery power of the Sun. Daughter of Ra, Sekhmet the lion-headed goddess is equally at home amid war, battle, and chaos here on Earth or strolling the flares and heat of her father’s palace. She calmly handles fire of all kinds, showing us how to walk through the Solar Flares of our lives with power and grace.
Ra the Falcon-headed God rules all of Creation, including the Sun. He watched over the Ancient Egyptians here on Earth as Ra-Horus, Pharaoh and protector of the people, and in the Stars as Amun-Ra, Master of the forces of Creation and Raw Universal Power. I imagine he made his palace on the Sun, strolling the fiery terrain to clear his mind when perplexed by the challenges of rulership here on Earth. How might that garden have looked, rising into being and burning away under his keen gaze?
As I created this piece, wildfires burned in my region. Fire Season has newly become a part of the natural world here. We humans have suppressed and guarded against Fire for decades, ruling Nature as if we hold the power of Ra in our own hands. We have not yet learned to dance with the flames. Where Ra appreciated the Creative Threshold they govern, we fear the sheer power they command. How different the world looks to us, rising into being and burning away today.
Maahes, son of Sekhmet and Ra, earned many names in his career. Lord of the Massacre, Wielder of the Knife, The Scarlet Lord, and Lord of the Slaughter are some of the most famous monikers Ancient Egyptians ascribed to the Lion-God. He was a fierce Warrior, defender of justice, and Avenger of Wrongs who served Ma’at, upholding her rule with ferocity and deadly skill.
Even Warriors need a day off once in awhile…
Heka, the Egyptian God of Magic and Medicine, has been a part of the Egyptian pantheon from the very beginning. He’s not one of the big names we know today, but he was a household name in Ancient Egypt. His magic was the most primal force that fueled the magics and powers of all the Deities. Without Heka, Ra’s daily journey across the sky would have been perilous; Heka protected him from dangers as he traveled. He also stood behind all the Gods and Goddesses; Heka’s was the core of the magics they all drew upon. Healers gave thanks to Heka daily as they drew upon this magics to help their patients heal. Despite all of that, there were no significant rituals dedicated to Heka. He was the support but rarely was Heka front and center on stage.
Magic hides in the flames. Fire transforms rapidly, radically, powerfully. Of the basic elements, it is the one where the most action takes place, and I reckon it’s the one place where Heka can duck out for a bit of rest and recuperation, hidden from everyone without actually being out of reach. Wasn’t mastery of fire what we humans consider the defining skill of our species?