• About the Author
  • Book: Art and Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place
  • Book: Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art
  • Oracle Deck: Spirit Cards

Art and Sacred Sites

~ Glen Rogers shares her artist's journey of travel, inspiration, and creating art.

Art and Sacred Sites

Tag Archives: archetypes

My Interview with Karen Kinney in her Divine Feminine Newsletter

05 Friday Aug 2022

Posted by glenrogers in Sacred Feminine in ARt

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archetypes, Divine Feminine, Glen Rogers, inspiration, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art, spiritual journey

Glen Rogers in her studio
1.) Tell us as little bit about your path with the divine feminine. When were you first drawn to the goddess, and what did that look like for you? 

Reading books in my late twenties like The Chalice and the Blade by Riane Eisler and When God was a Woman by Merlin Stone opened my eyes to a world of early Matriarchal cultures and the Sacred Feminine. I learned of ancient Goddess cultures, where women rulers and priestesses presided and held court in peaceful agrarian societies. Women were honored in each stage of life – maiden, mother, crone and as sacred life-givers, healers, and wise leaders. With these new revelations, I began choosing a spiritual path that honored that Goddess energy via my connection to Mother Earth and La Luna. Through meditation, my stream of creativity, and a connection to nature, I felt Her presence as a guiding light. I began traveling to sacred sites such as Paleolithic cave sites in South of France, representing the womb of the Mother and Newgrange in Ireland, with womb-like tunnels replicating the birth canal. Feeling that Goddess energy and walking in the footsteps of the grandmothers inspired and continues to inspire me.

2.) How would you describe the process of giving birth as a creator?

The act of creating is one of the most beautiful things in my life and I am grateful every day. In the early morning, sitting with my coffee and journal, I receive some of my most inspired ideas. These are just seeds of inspiration that I write or sketch out–and it’s up to me if they germinate and develop into something worthwhile. At this early stage and later in the studio when I’m in the flow, I often feel that I’m co-creating with a higher power which I call the Goddess energy. Listening to Her message and my intuition are part of my art practice. As a visual artist, I follow the writer’s adage “show up at the page.” Which means whether I’m in the mood or not, I go to the studio, because inevitably something happens. (And it is a sure thing that if I don’t show up–nothing will.) I always have a couple of projects going on at the same time to keep my juices flowing. Right now I have a large-scale charcoal drawing on my painting wall, a series of small monoprints in the works and an accordion book called Seed of the Divine that I just completed. The Sacred Feminine and her symbols, like the moon and the spiral, appear throughout–and all are inspired by my recent trip to Ireland. I travel a lot for my inspiration, taking pilgrimages to ancient Goddess sites around the world. My book, Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place, is about these journeys and the art inspired by my experiences. Creating art is truly a birthing process for me that requires time, focused energy and love. 

3.) This November, you are offering a divine feminine gathering for women in San Miguel. How did the vision for this gathering initially form and come into being?

The idea for Calling the Circle started to take form as I was promoting my second book, Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art in California in 2019. While I was giving book talks and sharing my journey to mainly female audiences, I began looking for more ways to inspire through my stories and artwork. As my friend and mentor, Priestess and Doctor of Chinese Medicine Dr. Ratka Mira Popovic and I were brainstorming ideas, we envisioned a women’s gathering in San Miguel de Allende Mexico where I live. I realized that San Miguel is the perfect location for our Gathering – a beautiful city with a definite spiritual and feminine energy. Even though Covid hit shortly after, the seed had been planted and I began forming an advisory council of women in the community to help birth the event. I think we were all feeling a hunger for this Gathering – as a way to connect to each other and to ancient Goddess wisdom. We join women around the world who are looking for ways to reclaim their spiritual roots and connect to the Sacred Feminine. Especially after Covid, we want to create an event filled with inspiration and empowerment. 

Karen Kinney is a writer, visual artist, and teacher and has recently published her 2nd book Doorways to Transformation: Everyday Wisdom for the Creative Soul.  I am honored to have Karen on our Advisory Counsel for the Calling the Circle Gathering in November. If you would like to sign up for Karen’s Divine Feminine Newsletter, contact her through her website.  karenkinney.com

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Spirit Cards, an oracle deck inspired by universal symbols that honor the Sacred Feminine.

31 Monday Aug 2020

Posted by glenrogers in archetypal symbols, Oracle Cards, Spiritual symbols

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Ancient oracle, archetypes, divination, inspiration, meditation, Oracle Cards, Sacred Feminine, spiritual journey

This deck of 50 oracle cards is a contemporary approach to an ancient tradition. The images, inspired by universal symbols that honor Mother Earth and the Sacred Feminine, were created over a 30-year period by artist Glen Rogers. In her books Art & Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place and Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art, she shares her pilgrimages to sacred sites around the world and her interest in archetypes and their universality. For Glen, creating in the studio is a form of meditation and a way to evoke a connection to the Divine Spirit. Her paintings and prints share a mystical quality that transcend into the spiritual realm. Spirit Cards were conceived during the covid quarantine, a silver lining to troubling times.

These unique oracle cards are 5 3/8″ x 3 1/2″

 

In Man and His Symbols, Carl G. Jung refers to certain symbols as archetypal: images that all of us can tap into through our unconscious mind, dream states and the creative process. He believed that “the greatest and best thoughts of man shape themselves upon primordial images,” and that archetypes—symbols from the collective unconscious—are metaphysical in nature. On my travels to sacred sites around the world, I learned firsthand that there truly is a universal visual language that connects us all.

Throughout my adult life, I have consulted various divination methods—astrology, psychics, the I Ching—all with eye-opening results. One of my favorites is Angeles Arrien’s interpretation of the Thoth deck in her Tarot Handbook. From her perspective, the ancient wisdom of the Tarot offers an opportunity to see life as a process of “walking the mystical path with practical feet.” Spirit Cards are a form of divination as well, a way of seeking clarity on an issue, and a simple-to-use form of reflection and contemplation to add to your daily practice. 

Oracle cards can be a tool on your journey of self-discovery, a way to inspire and awaken the Light within. For some, they are synchronicity at work through both image and word, allowing the unknown to become known. Open your mind, heart and spirit to the messages you receive and reflect on how they resonate with you. Meant to inspire and offer food for thought, each Spirit Card you choose is the right card for you at that moment. Comes with booklet with instructions and interpretations.

Pre-order Now! Introductory price $25 USD plus shipping. Visit my website to purchase: glenrogersart.com

Special Offer: The first 50 orders received includes a beautiful gold pouch to store your cards!

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Book Review for my new book, ‘Symbols of the Spirit’ by Dianne Hofner Saphiere

12 Friday Jul 2019

Posted by glenrogers in ancient symbols, archetypal symbols, Art

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Tags

archetypal symbols, archetypes, art books, Carl Jung, Language of the Goddess, Meditative art, Sacred Feminine, Spiritual in Art

Book Review—Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art
By Glen Rogers, ©2019 Luna Arte Contemporáneo
Paperback, 104 pages, US$30 or 500 pesos plus US$5 shipping from glen@glenrogersart.com

You will want to savor your time with this gorgeous volume created with love and wisdom by very talented printmaker, painter and sculptor, Glen Rogers. The book is filled with Glen’s beautiful artwork expertly laid out and printed in rich colors, accompanied by short text and guided meditation.

Glen’s work has long been grounded in archetypal imagery—metaphysical symbols from the collective unconscious. As a young feminist artist, Marija Gimbutas’ insights in The Language of the Goddess spurred Glen to walk in the footsteps of early goddess cultures. Over the next several decades Glen made spiritual and artistic pilgrimages to sacred sites around the world. On these journeys and in her art and life in between, Glen discovered and nurtured an internal resonance with sacred archetypal symbols, which then became a focus of her work. When she began authoring this latest volume, she set out to write a book about two of her favorite symbols: the bird and the lotus. Once she began, however, she quickly realized there were eight key symbols that appear again and again throughout her body of work.

In Symbols of the Spirit Glen writes a two-page essay on each of these eight symbols that have imbued such meaning and beauty into her art and daily life: the bird, circle, lotus, moon, seed, spiral, vessel and vesica piscis. She covers the symbols’ historic use and meaning as well as how they came to speak to her personally. Glen includes a short meditation or experiential activity inviting the reader to connect with the energetic properties of each of the symbols: to “experience it with your heart and allow the images to become part of your visual and spiritual vocabulary.” Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

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book page the lotus sm
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The effect is one of pure joy and thoughtful contemplation. If you are looking for reading that nurtures the spirit, the heart, one’s creativity and authenticity, you will find it here. Merely touching the rich pages deepens and calms one’s breath. Keeping this book near you in your home or work space provides a quick escape from the harried world we live in.

Most Mazatlán residents have much to thank Glen for, including the First Friday Art Walks in Centro Histórico and the OMA Gallery at the airport. She owned Luna Art Gallery in Mazatlán, and currently splits her time between our city on the bay and San Miguel de Allende. Born in Mississippi, Glen holds an MFA from San Jose State University and has a long and esteemed art career. For decades she worked in public art and as a community leader. Glen has had solo exhibitions throughout the USA and Mexico plus several in Peru, and group exhibits on four continents.

Glen feels that these eight archetypal symbols offer a promise of healing and transformation, a spiritual and artistic anchor to the Sacred Feminine. She views the creation of art as meditation—a communing with a higher power. Working with ancient symbols provides a bridge to our ancestors and a heart connection to the past. Glen’s experience tells us that these symbols provide healing on a subconscious level, and that once we’ve healed ourselves we can heal the world, because archetypes allow us to go deeper inside to find new truths to the dilemmas we face individually and collectively. Do we really need reasons more powerful than these to invest our time and talent?

Glen’s record of giving back to the community and trying new things is evident in this book. Making such personal works available to everyone—artist and non-artist alike—allows us a peek into what pushes someone as amazingly talented as Glen, and in doing so inspires us to look inward as well. Meditating with Glen via these precious pages is a truly therapeutic endeavor.  Contact Glen to start enjoying your copy.

“The man who speaks with primordial images speaks with a thousand tongues.”
—Carl Jung

Visit Dianne’s blog: https://vidamaz.com about life in Mexico!

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Inspired by The Lotus – A Symbol of Renewal

17 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by glenrogers in archetypal symbols, Spiritual symbols

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Tags

archetypes, Lotus, Spiritual in Art, spiritual journey, Spiritual symbols

Golden Lotus Triptych

“Golden Lotus”, triptych, 17 ¾” x 41”, Oil on panel with gold leaf, , 2018

Some say the origin of all art is spiritual; it was a way for early humans to commune with a higher and unseen power through mark-making.  Many ancient cultures embraced the lotus as a powerful image and spiritual symbol. The Egyptians used it in their art and architecture to symbolize rebirth and regeneration. They considered it a sacred flower and used it in rituals, ceremonies and medicines for its restorative qualities. In the Kamasutra, an ancient Hindu text about human sexuality, the lotus is a symbol of the source from which all life arises.

My spiritual journey has coincided with my infatuation with the lotus. It was in Bali that I first saw the pink lotus in its full glory—the most sacred color of the lotus flowers. Floating on a small pond, the lotus blossoms in various stages of unfolding captured my heart. This had a profound effect on me, as if I was seeing the Buddha himself reincarnated. In both Buddhism and Hinduism, the lotus is a sacred flower and refers to spiritual awakening and purity of heart. It’s the cycle of the lotus that provides the metaphor for rebirth—with the bud emerging from muddy waters each morning and gradually opening with perfectly clean petals. Each lotus bud represents potential, and with the fully formed blossom comes Nirvana. In my meditations, the image of the lotus unfolding is my heart opening to Spirit.

Golden Lotus

Golden Lotus, 42” x 53”, Monotype, 2013

The image of the lotus continues to be popular in our contemporary culture. Graphic logos offering tranquility and peace can be found on candles, yoga mats and clothing. The simplicity of form and power of idea elicits a universal message.

Incorporating the lotus into my artwork is meant as a spiritual metaphor, not just the image of a beautiful flower. Using simple graphic strokes, I try to capture the hidden aura of the plant and reveal an ethereal side of nature. Carl G. Jung said that the symbol (any symbol) is the psychological mechanism for transforming energy. Through this simple form, I attempt to transform a blank canvas into something mystical, giving the viewer a spiritual connection through my art.

Allegory of the Spirit

Allegory of the Spirit, 56” x 56”, Oil on canvas, 2016

Jung in his book, Man and His Symbols, referred to certain symbols as archetypal—images that all of us can tap into through our unconscious mind, dream states and the creative process. He believed that “the greatest and best thoughts of man shape themselves upon primordial images,” and that archetypes—symbols from the collective unconscious – are metaphysical in nature. On my travels to sacred sites around the world, I learned firsthand that there truly is a universal visual language that connects us all.

Floating Lotus I

Floating Lotus I, 27” x 27”, Oil on canvas with gold leaf, 2015, Collection of Dana Amarisa

This text is an excerpt from my upcoming book, Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art due to be published in January.

Contact me at: glen@glenrogersart.com to reserve your copy.

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Image

Fragments from the Ancient World

09 Thursday Feb 2017

Tags

Ancient sites in Mexico, archetypes, inspiration, printmaking, solarplate prints, spiritual journey

As an artist, I draw from the ancient world, collecting symbols carved into stone. I’m intrigued by the simplicity of form and the repetition of shapes such as the circle and spiral in sites around the world. By visiting sacred sites, I feel a connection with those who came before me and feel the spirit of place.

Here are some mixed media prints that I created recently using images from Uxmal, Monte Alban, and Las Labradas (Mexico). My photographs of these fragments were used to create solarplates, a non-toxic form of photo-printmaking. I then hand-wiped and printed the images on rice paper, running the plate through an etching press. The images were then used in the chine colle process – pasting down the thinner paper to a heavier print paper as I printed a monotype image at the same time. (Kind of like a collage).The monotype provides the textures and subtle tones that pull the image together.

These three prints, Ancient Fragment I, II, III, are featured in an exhibition at Baupres Gallery, Mazatlan, Mexico through the end of February.

 

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Ancient Fragment III

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Ancient Fragment II

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Ancient Fragment I

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Fragment from Uxmal

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Posted by glenrogers | Filed under ancient symbols, archetypal symbols, Art, monotype, Sacred Sites in Mexico, Uncategorized

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Ancient Openings/Aperturas Ancestrales

07 Wednesday Dec 2016

Posted by glenrogers in ancient symbols, Art, Uncategorized

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archetypes, Bienal de Grabado, Creativity, Glen Rogers, ICPNA, inspiration, Lima, Peru, printmaking, spiritual journey, travel

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I went to Lima, Peru in October, where I had a solo exhibition thru November 27 as part of the Bienal Internacional de Grabado (International Biennal of Printmaking) sponsored by ICPNA ( Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano). There were over 40 exhibitions as part of the Biennal over a 2 month period and represented artists from Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Spain, the U.S., Finland, France, Italy, Mexico and Peru.

In this exhibition at Galeria ICPNA San Miguel, I had the opportunity to exhibit early large-scale prints along with recent works.  I created most of these prints at KALA Institute in Berkeley, California in the early 1990’s, they represent the beginning of my exploration into symbolism as my primary artistic expression. My work continues along this line, and it was gratifying to see how seamlessly the work flowed.

All of the monotype prints draw from a universal visual language of primal forms created by early cultures and inspired by nature.  The circle speaks of unity, oneness, wholeness, the sun and the moon; the spiral reflects renewal, regeneration, evolution and growth; the oval or ‘vesical piscis’ is a symbol from sacred geometry that implies the womb, the seed, birth, and the beginning of life.  My intent over the last 20 years has been to create work that reflects the essence of these forms that can touch us on an intuitive level.

I visit sacred sites shrouded in mystery and imbued with the spirit of the ancients for inspiration. With each pilgrimage, I am drawn to the artifacts left behind by these early societies – sculptural details carved in stone, glyphs painted on cave walls, and designs found on pottery shards.  In each location, repetition is found in the form of archetypal symbols such as the circle and the spiral – universal symbols that according to Carl Jung evoke a deep and unconscious response.  Early on, I was drawn to Paleolithic and Neolithic sites where images of Mother Earth, the Divine Feminine, were revered.  (Among them: Newgrange in Ireland, The Temple of Knossos in Crete, and the caves in the south of France.)  My more recent visits to Machu Picchu, the Nazca Lines, and Sillustani in Peru also reveal a deep reverence for nature, Spirit and the cycles of life. For me, each site represents a mystical opening, a passage to something greater than ourselves, beyond the human experience.

In the studio, bold symbols emerge from the inked plate in a somewhat stream-of-conscious manner, my head and heart filled with new material.  The monotype allows me a spontaneous approach and results in a one-of-a kind image. Scratching the plate with a drypoint tool, I create a textural surface suggesting primeval walls worn down by time.  A mystical and meditative quality references the ritual of sacred space while the curvilinear forms refer to the Divine Feminine.  Symbols create openings that can connect us to the past and to the spiritual realm. As I work the surface of the plate and access these ancient forms and markings, I feel an affinity with those who have come before me.

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A Spider Hangs on a Thread of the Ancient Goddess Myth

16 Sunday Aug 2015

Posted by glenrogers in Uncategorized

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

Arachne, archetypes, Ariadne, blogging 101, Crete, Goddesses, Labyrinth

Weaving her web on my patio today

She was hanging in space – in a web of her own creation. I was intrigued by the zigzag pattern that she created. Most people take one look and think “Creepy!”  But I always think of Arachne (or Ariadne), one of the great goddesses of Ancient Crete. I have a hard time just going for the broom immediately so I let her hang around a bit before I almost fell into her web, then sent her running to another part of the garden.

There are a number of myths about Arachne, the Weaver Goddess. She was mistress of the Labyrinth in Minoan Crete  who led Theseus to the center and safely out again with her golden thread. But before gaining goddess status, as a mere mortal she refused to give Athena, goddess of wisdom and craft, credit for her weaving expertise and challenged her to a weaving contest. Athena became enraged at her more beautiful cloth and it’s depiction of Zeus and his amorous conquests and turned Arachne into a spider.

Arachne and Athena by Antonio Tempesta
Arachne and Athena by Antonio Tempesta
Illustration for Dante's Purgatorio of the Divine Comedy
Illustration for Dante’s Purgatorio of the Divine Comedy

As an archetype, she helps us find our soul at the center of ourselves, via the Labyrinth. In biology, spiders are classified as “arachnids” after the Greek Goddess. So although a little creepy to allow her free reign, I find it more unsettling to squash this symbol of the ancient goddess.

 

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Recent Posts

  • My Interview with Karen Kinney in her Divine Feminine Newsletter August 5, 2022
  • Calling the Circle A Sacred Feminine Women’s Gathering, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, November 7-9, 2022 May 22, 2022
  • In Her Power: Images of the Sacred Feminine December 18, 2021
  • Sedona – Visiting a Spiritual Vortex August 10, 2021
  • The Flowering – Re-birth and Renewal March 25, 2021
  • Bernie Meme – being embraced in my ‘Throne for a Goddess’ sculpture. January 24, 2021
  • The Priestess – Feminine Energy in the Time of Insurrection January 13, 2021
  • Revisioning the Venus: San Miguel de Allende to Austria December 17, 2020
  • The Sacred Feminine Trilogy. Watch as a Large Charcoal Drawing develops in the Studio. November 19, 2020
  • ‘Throne for a Goddess’ sculpture in Austria launches Benefit for Rural Girls in Mexico October 6, 2020

Pages

  • About the Author
  • Book: Art and Sacred Sites: Connecting with Spirit of Place
  • Book: Symbols of the Spirit: A Meditative Journey Through Art
  • Oracle Deck: Spirit Cards

About Glen Rogers

An artist who approaches life with an adventurous spirit and a reverence for Mother Earth. One of my favorite quotes, "Leap and the net will appear", has propelled me on a life journey of art and discovery. Visit my website: GlenRogersArt

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Art gallery

Blue Spirit
Blue Spirit
Notes from Monte Alban II
Notes from Monte Alban II
Notes fr Monte Alban V,
Notes fr Monte Alban V,
Phoenix, oil on canvas, 5' x 7'
Phoenix, oil on canvas, 5′ x 7′
Ancient Secrets II
Ancient Secrets II
Writing on the Wall
Writing on the Wall
Spirit of Place
Spirit of Place
Three Wings
Three Wings
Written in Stone
Written in Stone
Spirit Gate
Spirit Gate
Writing on the Wall series

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