Eve – Open and Safe

Read the poem I wrote for this piece.

Waiting For All Wars To End

And despite all wars and conflicts, women remain ready to be stirred by the spark of a new beginning—the emergence of something that has never existed before. Ready to be filled with love for a cluster of tiny cells, accompanying them toward whatever they choose to become—a peacemaker or a murderer.

We do it again and again. With our biological children, just as with our spiritual ones. We wait, holding that naive trust within us—a trust that is our true strength.
Cycle after cycle. Cycle of humanity after cycle of humanity, we remain here, waiting until all wars end.

Protected Land

Two women block the path. They appear to have arrived on horseback from somewhere in the distance. Behind them lies a great mountain and a vast plain—dark yet luminous. The two look like two sides of the same coin. Like day and night. Or mother and daughter? They embody distinct qualities: directness, persistence, self-empowerment, wisdom, softness, loving-kindness, and self-love.

What might your protected land be? Perhaps your heart, your sensuality, your femininity, your feelings and thoughts? And what is our protected land? Our care for the Earth, for community, for our children, and for our well-being?

Alchemy

Sketched by the Baltic Sea, painted on the ground in front of our camper van in Sardinia, brought home and finished. Yes, I feel wonderful—right, whole, and at one with myself—by the sea, barefoot and following the simple rhythm of the day. When I return home, I lose that feeling and often struggle. I have often asked myself: what can I do to avoid falling into those dark places? Change my life circumstances—of course. But what if those circumstances provoke such deep inner resistance that I simply lack the strength to make that change? Alchemy. Transformation. Taking what is and building something else from it. Easy to say. Explaining it takes longer. All I can say is—I am beginning to understand.

The Landscape In Me

Oh Coccorocci, my love! That beach with its rolling stones creating the most soothing sound for the mind, the orange rocks, the deep blue at their feet, and the scent of the Mediterranean scrub. I was terrified on the rocky path leading to the next cove—a fear of heights. I felt the same way driving our motorhome—weighing over four tons—along the winding roads to that wonderful campsite. This landscape and its colors have left a deep impression on me and stirred something profound within.

Tailwind

Who needs a tailwind? Who likes that feeling of being given a little push from behind? As if you could lean back. You don’t have to do a thing. What if we could be that for each other?

A Gaze Like Lazer

You will encounter women with a laser-like gaze. No more room for deception, excuses, evasive maneuvers, dodging responsibility, exploitation, condescension, discrimination, or "playing pretend." That is no longer possible. It is over.

Roots

This image is powerful. It was born out of failure. I had planned it differently, but at some point during the process, I realized that the scene on the canvas had somehow gone a step too far. Something was missing—namely, the journey leading up to it. After the arduous task of scraping the layer of paint off the canvas, I took the time to confront the emotions that arose: impatience, dissatisfaction, and anger. A part of me wanted to quickly erase this "mistake" by starting a new painting. And that is precisely why I took my time. I searched for the message within this dilemma, and—as is so often the case—the painting itself held the answer.

The Passage

I am in transition. We are in transition—the world, the Earth, our societies, countries, continents, and people. I feel it within myself and in my own personal evolution. Fundamental things are being turned upside down, while other things are finally coming into sharp focus. This seems to be the case for everything; I have endless opportunities to make increasingly precise choices. Although things may sometimes appear completely contradictory, I sense that the aspect of the feminine is clearly moving to the forefront. It does so sometimes loudly and combatively, yet simultaneously with a quiet certainty that the time has simply come and that this shift in priorities is unstoppable. It does this even in an environment that is simultaneously heading in entirely different directions. Yet, because it is the feminine aspect, it simply proceeds regardless—soft as water, yet persistent and effective, it carves its riverbed into the rock.

Unlived Potential

Unrealized potential is what a woman comes to recognize, perhaps when she is a bit older: "Did I show myself the way I wanted to? Did I live the life I longed for? Did I feel the way I needed to? Did I unfold as fully as I could have? And can I live with the answers to these questions without regret?"

The Magic Kitchen

There is a book by the Toltec author Don Miguel Ruiz titled *The Four Agreements*. My partner—now my husband—gave me this book during the first year of our relationship. Although my bookshelf holds very few books these days because I have cleared out so much, this is one of the few that has remained. Relationships bring challenges and conflicts. Time and again, this book has guided us back to the very core of our connection during such moments. One chapter is titled "The Magical Kitchen." It refers to the heart. It is the place where you yourself create your own abundance of love. You are not the needy person who demands that your beloved serve up the emotional nourishment—the delicious dishes of the heart—that you cannot or will not prepare for yourself.

Outside The Box

There is the spotlight; you can see where it shines. Everything else lies in darkness. But you sense that there IS more. More possibilities, more to experience, more of what draws you—beyond the edge of the beam of light and into the unknown.

Trust and Effort

Staying the course, even when the future is uncertain. Doing what needs to be done. Persevering, even when nothing yet gleams or shines—when what is already taking shape in our hearts still lies entirely in the dark.