Labyrinths and other stone carvings can be found engraved at special and sacred sites all over the world. They are thought to represent life, death and rebirth - the mysteries of existence and being but a lot of their meaning is mysterious and not fully understood. I love exploring the possibilities of their meaning and learning about how important stone carvings and other artforms were, and in some cases still are, to cultures with oral knowledge systems.
Sadly, there is much that has been lost in regards to the knowledge of what many stone carvings meant where they are found in Europe. But as I have been learning more about First Nations oral knowledge systems I am hopeful that one day we might be able to understand them better again. There are mysteries to be explored.
This wondering has inspired a series of pieces about the stone carvings and ancient ancestors who created them. I have used labyrinths and other carving patterns found on stones and passage tombs. I have combined these designs with stones that speak of the ancient story of life on earth. Fossils and petrified wood, millions of years old, that hold remnants of ancient lives. Earthy toned stones and crystals used also speak of the ages and the depths of time.
I hope that in wearing these pieces you too will be inspired to explore the possible meanings of these stone carvings too. Perhaps it will also encourage you to learn about living traditions of First Nations cultures that continue to use and pass on knowledge through oral knowledge systems that use these kinds of artworks to hold vast amounts of information. Perhaps as this knowledge is better understood by us all, it will help us in turn to shine a light on the past that seemed lost. Who were the ancient ancestors that created these carvings and what was their story to tell? I hope that wearing these pieces will help you to explore these ideas for yourself.
I very much recommend the book Songlines: The Power and the Promise, by Margo Neale and Lynne Kelly if you are interested in learning about First Nations oral knowledge systems. And the book Pagan Britain by Ronald Hutton if you would like to learn about stone carvings that can be found in the British Isles and what we currently know about the people who created them. It's a fascinating subject to explore.
To see available pieces in this range, click here, or choose the Labyrinth tab in the menu.
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