Beth Hansen

November 2007 – Winterfest

Celebrate a Season of Light

Discover the mythical art of Meredith Dillman. These exquisitely detailed watercolor paintings echo the best spirit of the season. Look at her painting Yuletide, can’t you almost hear the medieval band begin to play, with it’s lutes, recorders, drums and harps?

Meredith’s art has been published in role-playing games, the books “Watercolor Fairies“, “Fairy Motifs”, “How to Draw and Paint Fairies” and metaphysical magazines and journals. Winterfest is the first one woman show of her paintings, and we are thrilled to celebrate the holiday season with her artwork in our gallery, both online and in our showroom.

Not only do we have her beautiful original paintings, but we have obtained a wide selection of prints and keepsake boxes created from Meredith’s artwork as well. Even though she lives and works in our own backyard, she has gained a following around the world through the books, magazines, and journals that have published her artwork. The Winterfest Art Show runs from November 4th 2007 through January 31st 2008.

Turning the Wheels of Life

Posted By Beth Hansen

Close-up of cover with chakras — Wheels of Light Chakra

One of the most often recommended books on Chakras, Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith, Ph.D. is subtitled as “a users guide to the chakra system” and it does a good job of living up to it’s title. Many books on this subject are written for a reader already familiar with the intricacies of yoga and the mythology of India. Those are great if you were raised with that, but for the western reader, Wheels of Life is a better, more readable introduction. [Read more…] about Turning the Wheels of Life

The Dance of Life – The Ankh

Posted By Beth Hansen

by Beth Hansen-Buth

Working at a Metaphysical Store called Eye of Horus, we are constantly asked questions about all things Egyptian. One of the most well-known symbols of ancient Egypt is the ankh, which also is known as the original cross. For most people it’s just a cool looking image for a tattoo or as a pendant worn by the Goth kid down the street. Much of what we know about Egyptian culture and beliefs came from the artwork and artifacts of the tombs of the kings, and the ankh plays a prominent role in that aspect, not because it’s a symbol of death, but because it’s a symbol of life.

“This magic knot or cross, known as Nem Ankh, the key of life, was often used in the iconography of opposites. The loop over the tau-cross could stand for the Sun, for Heaven and Earth as the macrocosm and for man as the microcosm. It is generally interpreted as a symbol which expresses the reconciliation of opposites of the integration of active and passive qualities. This is amply confirmed by the fact that, when recumbent, the ankh symbolizes both male and female sexual attributes in precisely the same way as the very realistic Hindo depiction of a Hermaphrodite standing on a Lotus flower.”

A Dictionary of Symbols, Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant

The ankh also resembles a key and is considered the key to eternal life after death. As such, it was traditionally used as a pendant to ward off destruction or decay, and was cast in gold rather than silver, to better reflect the nature of the Sun. Speaking of the Sun, another theory says that that the ankh symbolizes the sunrise, with the loop representing the Sun rising above the horizon, which is represented by the crossbar. That leaves the vertical section below the crossbar to represent the path of the sun. There are many pictures of Gods and Kings holding the ankh, indicating that they had the power to give life. Whatever the meaning of this beautiful symbol, we at Eye of Horus celebrate the Ankh as the dance of life, and the abilities that are given to us to enjoy that life.

Related Links:

The Ancient Ankh Symbol of Life – Feature Story with photos from Tour Egypt Website
DancenAnkhen – Another unique design for clothing, gifts & accessories from HorusGear