Dionysian Art

I stumbled across a Bulgarian artist named Peter Velikov.  His art is mostly etchings, and he has some unique takes on classical themes and figures.  He has two pieces of Ariadne and Dionysos.  The first, my favorite, is called "Bacchus and Ariana":

And the second is "Bacchus and Ariadne":

 

The other Dionysian art I wanted to pass along is actually a film, called Holy Motors, which I had the privilege of seeing at our favorite local independent movie theater/bar.  (Great combination!)   It's a French film that premiered at this year's Cannes Film Festival.  I'm afraid no synopsis of the movie is going to do it justice, but it is weird and beautiful and we were talking about it for a long time after seeing it.  What about it is Dionysian?  Masks, drama, performance, life, the dissolution of boundaries -- all bleeding together, and a lot of other details which I'll leave you to discover.  The (very talented) actor who plays the main character has no less than 11 personas in the film.  Kylie Minogue also has a role.  I will definitely be buying it when it comes out on DVD, as I already want to see it again.  If anyone reading this ends up seeing it, definitely let me know what you think!  Here is the trailer:

Happy 'Through the Looking Glass' Day!

As fans of Lewis Carroll may already know, today is the day that Alice went through the looking glass.  (To mirror the day she went down the rabbit hole, which was May 4th.)  I have some plans for today, but for now I shall simply leave you with a Jabberwocky...

Speaking of madness, and music...

Don't Worry About the Sugar Planter!  (He's out of his mind.)

These guys are one of my favorite bands, and they have a kickstarter campaign at the moment too.

Ivy-Clad Tuesday

Sannion posed two questions last week. 

 

1) Who are you?

2) What role does art play in your worship? 

 

I haven't read anyone else's responses yet, but these questions really get to the heart of some things I'm working through at the moment.  I almost don't even want to talk about it.  So I will. 

 

I feel some resistance towards defining myself by the "masks" I could wear, although in the past I would have said they were part of my identity.  Things like writing poetry and playing music for example.  These were my passions, and they've fallen by the wayside, big-time, over the past couple years.  To the point where I'm not entirely sure if they are still passions.  Or if they are, where my blocks are coming from.  I feel these blocks as far as my spiritual pursuits are concerned as well, although my devotion for the gods motivates me to make more of an effort there than with the others.  

 

But why, for example, haven't I ever taken my violin to my Dionysos shrine and just played?  

 

I only now just thought of that question, but it stings and troubles.  Is Dionysos not a god of releasing fears, of breaking through?  Am I not a Dionysian? 
 

Nothing by accident.  I seem to remember mentioning in another blog of mine that I felt as if I was in the process of stripping away and building myself back up.  Perhaps it's a matter of repeating the question, "What are you, if not this?" and seeing what is left.

 

But I do know, and this is a fairly recent revelation, that I am a mystic.  I feel that word describes the longing I have and have always had at my core.  Something that feels both restless and peaceful at the same time, that could not be without the gods.  I also know that something that is essentially "me" persists beyond death, and can be recognized by my love in another life. 

 

Art is worship and worship is an art.  I need to integrate this truth more deeply.  And I need to go dancing again.  And maybe paint a sloppy watercolor of Dionysos while drinking absinthe.  In other words, do the art I know, and do art that I don't know.  And not worry about the outcome.  That last, that's important.  With art as well as worship, shouldn't it be the experience and not necessarily the outcome that is most rewarding?

 

That's more of a rambling confession than a straight answer, but there it is.  (Is every Dionysian in a constant state of wondering Who They Are?)  

 

You can call me Aridela Pantherina, and I'm certainly a Dionysian.  

Dreaming of Trees

In a little over a month, if all goes according to plan, my husband and I will be taking a road trip up to the redwood forest in honor of our first anniversary!!

 

Combine my growing craving for green and forests with a general fascination with redwoods (especially fired up since reading The Wild Trees by Richard Preston), and you have a very excited panther.  We're going to be camping for several nights in the northernmost national redwoods park in California.  I've been totally geeking out by researching everything I can, about the redwood trees themselves, the parks, hikes, you name it.

 

We're also going to be spending a day and night at the Joshua Tree National Park, a place I've always wanted to visit but never have, in spite of its much closer proximity.  I love joshua trees, they are adorable and quirky. 

 

Things we've talked about seeing on the way include The Lucky Mojo Curio shop in Forestville, and jaunting up to the Oregon mystery vortex, perhaps stopping at a winery or two.  I'm trying to sedate my inner planner from going to crazy though. Must leave room for spontaneity. 

 

By the way, if you assumed my favorite tree was a redwood or a joshua tree, you'd be wrong.  It's a boojum tree.  Which looks like a tree that got stuck in a vortex, incidentally. 

 

And of course, the best part is that I get to experience this whole trip with the one person I can never get enough of.  I'm even just excited at the prospect of the hours of driving in the car together. 

So this is the stuff I've been daydreaming (and sometimes nightdreaming) about and no doubt will be for the next month.  I feel like whatever I can imagine is guaranteed to be trumped by the experience itself.  I've been pondering things like, what are the nymph spirits there like?  What sort of faces of Dionysos might I see in such a forest?  What sort of mushrooms might we find?  Ha!  Can't wait!

We have a camping trip next week as well, to a favorite spot along the Mogollon Rim.  It's funny how much I've turned into a camping person.  I didn't used to be!  But now I find I get a soul-craving for it if I've been away from nature too long.

To Dionysos

My god,

I hope you know

that I could never not be devoted to you.

Though I know I've seen only a fraction,

walked little of this labyrinth,

and still question my intuition,

you are the grand hologram,

the lightning strike that cannot be unseen

even when I didn't know I had the eyes for it.

If you never spoke a word to me,

never stroked my skin to gooseflesh

or caught me as I danced recklessly in your name,

it is all only to remember the truth,

(which is eternal)

that you are in my blood, my tears, my breath,

my love and longing,

for this life (Life!)

filling me to the brim.

And even when i pass away this body

whose limbs have swayed and lept, knelt and walked,

wrought and ached, for you.

Still, you will be there.

I know and I remember.

Faraway Lightning

This song makes me think of Dionysos...