Yes it tis a bit early for pumpkins and goblins and yes there will be another orange & black post more appropriately calendaric but today I wanted to offer you a commercial opportunity by pimping the art of one of my good friends.
Tina Fields is an artist, songtress, contra-dance caller, eco-psychologist with a wickedly dark sense of many things and an abominable taste in men. The image above is hers of which she says:
A witch flies across the full moon on a broomstick. This is a classic Hallowe’en image; nothing more.
–Or is it?
Note how happy this witch looks. Then look for four entheogenic plants semi-hidden in the design.
Can you identify them?
Some say the use of such plant mixtures is how those witches, our European ancestors, actually went ‘flying.’ The broomstick provided a handy applicator of the “flying ointment” – a.k.a. witches’ brew? – to the mucous membranes. (I am not making this up!)
My favorite thing about this drawing is the glee she exhibits. I get so tired of seeing witches depicted as evil, scheming, or just grumpy in their warts. I mean, really. When I was a little kid of nine or so, a teacher asked what we wanted to be when we grew up. The book suggested things like “nurse” and “fireman.” I wrote in “Philosopher. And witch.”
Silently flying out of the window at night by moonlight, knowing the world’s unknowable secrets, casting spells, healing people with wild materials free for the taking, talking with ravens?! Yee-haw! It’s good to be a witch.
And now for the commercial portion of our program: this image can be found on t-shirts, cups, throw pillows, trivets and other assorted items for your halloween and year round pleasure at: CafePress
