The Witch's Garden

In December of 1999 there was a total eclipse of the moon that appeared in the sky here in the Midwest. It was beautiful! It is quite amazing to watch a lunar eclipse because you can observe something very similar to the phases of the moon, unfolding over merely a period of hours, instead of the month as usual. I say similar, because it looks different somehow, the dark section isn`t black, but an otherworldly color, sometimes gray sometimes a brownish-maroon, and the shadow is different, not a sharp edge, but a bit fuzzy. It`s easy to believe that an eclipse was considered supernatural long ago. As I watched this heavenly show unfolding before my eyes, I explained to my daughters that it was the shadow of the earth passing across the full moon. Gazing up at the almost totally masked moon, in my mind`s eye, I saw the spirit of the Moon Goddess, pulling her dark cloak around her, amusing herself with a celestial game of hide and seek. I kept this picture in my head for 9 months until I finally put it to paper, it had aged to perfection. It was completed on a full moon night the following August. A lunar eclipse can bring about change, it is a good time for letting go of the past and unveiling something new in your life before you. It is a time of blessings and wonder. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board. By Mickie Mueller  $29.95 

On the hilltops in the British Isles you can still see bonfires burning joyously away on Beltane or May Day, May 1st. Beltane is still celebrated as it has been throughout the ages as a fertility festival by farming communities in olden times. The awakening of the land was very important when peoples existence relied upon it in order to reap a good harvest in the fall. It is traditional not only to dance around a maypole and weave colored ribbons about the pole, but also to dance around, between, or leap over bonfires. This is for purification after the long winter. As the celebrants dance about the circle, sparks of energy that they have raised with their jubulant dance flow about the circle like fireflies. They are all dressed differently, representing different backgrounds and traditions, but come together in the circle in fellowship. One woman has donned faerie wings, a reminder that the first of May is a day of much faerie activity. The drummer keeps time and one man plays lilting airs on a flute. We are a circle, within a circle, with no beginning, and never ending. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board. By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

This ancient Celtic Goddess known as Brighid, (Brigit, Brid, Bride, etc...) is beloved to Ireland and the British Isles, as the keeper of the home`s hearth, patroness of healing, smith craft, fertility, poetry, and midwifery. Legend says that when she was born at sunrise, a tower of flame reached from the top of her head to the heavens. Her birth is said to have given the family house the appearance of being on fire. The household fire is sacred to Brighid, and each evening the woman of the house would smoor the fire, (cover it over to keep the fire overnight)` asking for the protection of Brighid on all its occupants. Brighid`s festival is Imbolc, or Candlemas and falls on February 2, and is the in between time after the winter solstice and before the spring equinox. It is the time the very first signs of impending spring become apparent, as the ewes and cows come into milk and prepare to give birth. This festival is usually celebrated by keeping a flame burning in the home, either in the fireplace or with candles to honor this fire Goddess, and invite her to bestow blessings upon the home. Traditional foods served during this time include dairy items such as milk and cheese. Many Irish households proudly display a Brighid`s Cross, an ornament made of rushes and hung in the home for protection, and to honor Brighid. She is one of the best historic examples of the survival of a Goddess in Christian records. During the time when Christianity moved into Celtic areas, her followers refused to give up their worship of Brighid, so the Church had no choice but to bring her into their fold by making her a saint. The most popular folk tale being that she was midwife to the Virgin Mary, and thus was always invoked and prayed to by woman in labor. There had been a shrine dedicated to the Goddess Brighid at Kildare, Ireland with a Perpetual Flame tended by 19 virgin priestesses called Daughters of the Flame. Their tradition was that each day a different Priestess was in charge of the Sacred Fire and on the 20th day of each cycle, the fire was miraculously tended by Brighid herself. When Catholicism took over Ireland, the Shrine became a convent and the virgin priestesses became nuns, but the same traditions held, and the Eternal Flame was kept burning. For over a thousand years, the Sacred Flame was tended by nuns, and no one knows how long before that it was kept by the priestesses. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor Pencils on Illustration board By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

"The moon has great energies, love, intuition, spirituality, healing and is related to the Goddess or feminine aspects of Deity. The Moon pulls the tides and also our emotions with it`s cycles. The full moon is a time when it`s energy and magnetic pull is at it`s pinnacle. It is this time when the energy of the moon may be called upon to grant our dearest desires. She stands before the open sky, her blade held aloft as if an etheric lightning rod, and she draws the energy of the Goddess within her, that she might discover some ancient secret wisdom, lost long ago. The waves break on the rocks below and a gentle breeze dances through her hair as she becomes one with the Moon Goddess, in a communion of spirit. The candles flicker only slightly and the sounds of nature are heard all around as she joins the glowing orb that illuminates the night. My beautiful friend Dawn posed for this piece, as well as the Lunar Eclipse. Many reference photos for the setting were taken at Lake of the Ozarks in Southern Missouri during a perfect week spent relaxing and enjoying nature from wave-runners with my husband. I think the peace I felt on that trip transfered over into this work. " 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board. By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

There are many legends surrounding the Fey, or Faeries. In ancient (and not so ancient) times people had many names for them, Daoine Sidhe, Good Neighbors, The Gentry, People of Peace, Twlwyth Teg, and the People of the Hills to name a few. Faeries lived in lochs, lakes, and faerie hills below the earth. These enigmatic spirits were often associated with the Tuatha De Dannon, a mysterious tribe that came to Ireland long before the Druids were in power. It is considered wise to regard them with respect, as they are protectors of the land. They enjoy an occasional offering of bread or milk. It is believed that unseen faeries can be made visible by looking through a stone with a natural hole in it. Many a light bulb has blown due to the dancing feet of a slightly mischievous faerie. They love music. My lovely youngest daughter modeled for me. This faerie is a friendly guide of the Tuatha. She is clever, witty, and a fine tracker. She can guide any who wish to follow on a shamanic journey to the land of the Fey. Her season is Summer, her friends are the fireflies, and her spirit is laughter. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board. By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

Freya, of the Vanir branch of deities, is the Norse Goddess of love and of war. In addition to her association with sexuality and marriage corresponding with Aphrodite and Venus, she is also known as a seer and the Queen of the Valkyries. The Valkyries were spirit women who would fly over the battlefield on horses choosing the bravest of warriors` souls to bring back Valhalla to spend eternity with Odin. Freya as Queen of the Valkyries chose half of the warriors to join her at her hall. She is also a Goddess of magic and divination She is often depicted either riding a boar, or driving a chariot driven by two cats. Freya owned the precious Brisinga-men`s necklace, which she acquired by trading four nights of her love to the the dwarves who owned it. The necklace was sought after in several tales, just as was Aphrodities famous girdle. This necklace is believed by some to embody her power over the material world; an emblem of the earth-goddess since the earliest times. It is said that her shed tears turned to amber or gold. She also had in her possession a cloak of feathers which allowed her to change into a falcon and travel between the worlds. As the embodiment of the holy life force, she was the one who brought magic to the Aesir, a later branch of Gods. Friday is named for Freya. Fridays magical correspondence is love and beauty. She is seen here driving her chariot with her two cats and casting flowers as a blessing from her hand, the snow is receding and love eminates from the great Viking Goddess. My thanks to Nordic beauty Carrie for posing for this work. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board. By Mickie Mueller $29.95

The Greenman is commonly seen as garden ornaments, and architectual detail throughout the ages. His lovely leafy countenance is a recurring theme in medieval art and decoration. You will even see him decorating many old churches and cathedrals. But the origins of Greenman are very deep and far reaching. He is a representation of the spirit of nature, of the forest and of the growing seasons. He is also known as Jack-in-the-Green, or The Man in the Oak. His spirit protects the trees and growing things in wild places. Greenman is the joyous and laughing God of growth and woods. Greenman is an excellent spirit to call upon for assistance when you are looking for prosperity and abundance. He also represents renewal and the endless ability for life to find a way. When you spy some green leaves pushing their way through cracks in the concrete, this is the strength of Greenman at work. When you are walking in the woods, you may spy him, if for only an instant peering through the trees at you. Look again, no, it`s only the leaves moving just right...or is it? I have seen him many times in my minds eye while spending time in wild places. You will know he is there by the warm safe feeling you will feel, as long as you are showing respect for his realm. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor pencils on Illustration board. By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

She nurtures her small infant in her arms beneath the protection of a willow tree. A new member of the Fey race, born in the spring will grow with love and be taught the ways of nature and the magick that is used by The Good People to make all things live and grow. In the faerie mother is seen the strength of love a mother has for her child and wisdom held within to be imparted to the young and passed on to future generations. Protection, nurturing, and patience are the blessings a mother bestows upon her young. In the faerie child lives infinate potential and possibilities, everything new and fresh, and the begining of the paths of life. Everything is new through the eyes of a child. This was created for my own mother who taught me many things, and several other mothers in my life for Mothers Day 2005. As a mother myself, I always appreciate a gift made from the heart. This work would be equally well recieved as a gift to any mother as well as a gift to hang in a childs room or nursery. It would also be a great meditation focus for healing your inner child. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor Pencils on Illustration board By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

The Goddess Ostaras (Eostres) celebration day can vary from the spring equinox (circa March 21) to the first full moon after the equinox. She is the Anglo-Saxon / Germanic Goddess of new beginnings, fertility, hope and renewal. It is a time of balance between day and night. Her symbols include the hare, colored eggs, spring flowers, in older times celebrants wore brand new clothing to celebrate her festival. Does this all sound familiar? It should, the symbolism and even the name of Ostaras / Eostres festival were adopted by the Christian celebration of Easter which also celebrates renewal and rebirth. One should note, that the holiday of Easter moves every year. It always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. Ostara is an interesting Goddess because she is considered a Maiden Goddess but instead of a new crescent, uses full moon energy. This makes sense if we consider that she is the Goddess who fires up all the growth in the spring. Physics teaches us that an object at rest, tends to stay at rest, it takes more energy to begin momentum that continue it. Consider the seed sleeping beneath the earth or the bud tightly wrapped on a tree branch. Its like when the alarm goes off while you are snug under your blankets; the hardest part is just getting up and moving, and it takes a lot of energy to get started. That may explain a Maiden with full moon energy. This dynamic Lady of spring has also had the female hormone Estrogen named after her. Bursting full of the power of femininity as well as regeneration, she takes the relay of life firmly in hand as the Crone has passed it to her from the underworld. As we note the sprouts, buds and blossoms bursting forth from the deep dark earth, take a moment to thank Ostara. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor Pencils on Illustration board By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

Many people believe that things that remain unknown to us in our everyday lives can be accessed through the methods of divination. These events unseen do exist, and you only need a way to tap into the world that is beyond the veil that separates our existence from the next. Almost everyone has at one time or another known who was on the other end of the ringing phone, (without looking at caller ID) or had a "feeling" about driving a different way than usual only later to discover that you avoided an accident on your normal route. How many times have you said before, "I knew it, I just knew it!" without any physical or practical way of having such knowledge, just intuition. Everyone can use these extra senses, you just have to be open to them, some people control these senses by methods of divination. The woman is dressed in a green robe, symbolic of this world and surrounded by purple, symbolic of the next. Her divination tools are spread out before her, crystal ball, runes, tarot cards, a pendulum. A stone goblet of water is symbolic of the Goddess` association with intuition. Incense smoke drifts from a tiny cauldron and a candle nestled in an amethyst cluster adds to the vibrations that are just right for divination, as well as her amethyst ring that helps her attune with the next world. This piece was created for the fourth issue of the U.K.s Witchcraft and Wicca`s magazine cover. It was a Samhain issue, (pronounced Sow-wen) also known as Halloween. This is the time when the veil between the worlds are at its thinnest, and communication is easiest. Faerie magician Gia modeled for this one, a dear friend from my days with Clan of the North Star. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor Pencils on Illustration board By Mickie Mueller

$29.95

This is an interpretation of the Crone, one aspect of the Triple Goddess. I chose to portray her as a Native American woman, growing up in New Mexico, I always thought the Navaho women of age with their long silver hair and lines of experience must have some great secrets and wisdom behind their knowing eyes. My wonderful friend, an Elder in a tribe in Wisconsin advised me on some aspects of this piece as well as a crash course on the medicine wheel. ( just the smallest tip of the iceberg) In the basket before her are herbs including Chicory and Sweet grass. A smudge stick, for cleansing, corn representing nourishment, a gourd bowl filled with water representing the cauldron of rebirth, and a tortoise rattle. The two arrows in her hand are a version of the two spears associated with her Celtic Crone sister, as is the cauldron. Her prayer shawl is the deep blue night, alive with stars, crescents, and spirals of rebirth. She draws down power from the waning moon, mysteries, magick and wisdom are hers. A crow, her totem animal, soars through the dark of the waning moon. She reminds us of all things great that come with age, the wise women we can learn from and must show respect to, for they hold the whisperings of our ancestors. 11"x17" acrylic and Berol Prismacolor Pencils on Illustration board By Mickie Mueller

$29.95