Artio: A Trek Way Goddess Story Narrative
A Level 1
Final Project for the Sisters of the Rising Moon School
by
Muriel
Level 1
Initiate and Member of the Order of the White Moon
(© 2020) All original material in
this site is under copyright protection and is the intellectual property of the
author.)
Artio. Picture taken from Wikipedia, the
free encyclopedia
I am a
Narrative Story Listener. It is a path of Heart Listening. In this Level One
Project I choose to explore the narrative told by the Muri bronze of Artio pictured above. Why? In todays changing world shamanic
narrative is an emerging and growing literature. The time is thus right to
explore the Artio narrative preserved by artisans of
old.
Thesis: The bronze shown here narrates the
re-telling of a shamanic treckway event. On closer
examination, the event is one of wisdom seeking. The bear is a wise friend, a
protective friend. The female figure may be a wise woman or a shaman initiate.
The event itself is grounded by the fruit offering. It is an event of “Embrace
and Receive”.
The
Evidence: The flat
surface of the bronze is like a trek way. The bear is situated near an image of
a woods out of which she has run. She is answering a call, not from the woman
who sits passively, but from the other figure in the background. The figure is
possibly a Spirit Caller of the Celtoi tribe from
which this bronze emerges. The female figure is the destination for the story
being shared.
The Bear:
The bear
is made to bring our full attention to what is unfolding. Her body is sleek in
its line and draws the viewer toward the female figure. Her open mouth suggests
a sharing of wisdom. Her eyes are in alignment with the eyes of the female
figure. There is a sense of the bear following the line of the arm of the
background figure to ‘trek toward’ and ‘speak’ to the female figure. Her head
position shows her eyes are on an equal line with the eyes of the female
figure. In shamanic trek way practice the bear is waiting to be embraced. She
is a ‘hairs breath’, if you will from the female figure awaiting acknowledgement.
The female figure is in a neutral state except for the fruit basket on her lap
and her right foot forward. The later may indicate a symbolic step toward the
bear. The female figure is like a Sitting Woman spirit keeper; another story
this bronze does not narrate clearly and should not be imagined as a
possibility.
The Fruit
Basket. The
story here is complicated. It may simply be a gift for Bear Spirit. It may be
an indication of another practice hidden beneath the obvious. It may represent
a practice of “Give and Receive”. It is hard to know without further research
into this ancient culture and its spirit practice ways.
The
Narrative: The
bronze itself was made as a memory piece during a time of tribal crisis. It was
made about a time when the Romans were overtaking the land of the Celtoi. The actual knowing of why the bronze was
commissioned is lost to the mists of time. I say commissioned as this level of
artisan skill suggests the important of the event to be told. It is the
retelling of an ancient way practice event that needed honouring.
Honouring the Maker
I bow in
deep respect for the artisan who cast the bronze. An example of the quality and
workmanship in times of old.
Honouring the Story
Listen
without judgement. If judgement pops into your mind - release it. Listen to
hear the story as the culture it was made in might have known it as an oral
society. Stay out of the garden of imagination.
Background
Information
The origins of the Artio
bronze is vague. She is of a Gaelic tradition but Roman made. It is said the
bronze is tied to the area of what is now western Switzerland. At the time of
this “Quiet Story” memory piece it was a Gaelic Celtic stronghold.
The bronze itself tells of re-purposing. At the time of their discovery, the individual elements of the group – pedestal, bear, woman, tree and basket – were separated from each other, making their configuration a matter of conjecture. There ‘putting back together’ has made a new story.
What the ‘new story’ offers is an opportunity to look into the past through the lens of the present. To know that the bronze has been re-assembled more than once tells of decisions made to include and exclude elements that are no longer available.
As the internet discussion advises, a throne is
missing as are what would account for a bear cult practice. The curators tell
of a Goddess and a Bear who hold the same name. A name that is simply a word
from Celtic and Greek languages. It is not known who re-purposed the bronze or
the place where the true story of its meaning and understanding can be
found.
From a Goddess perspective, Artio
is bound to agriculture. The fruit basked and the grains tell of what was
important to the lives of people in the area. From a Bear perspective, little
can be said … except bears love fruit.
The
Ritual
I hold a fruit basket to the wind and bow in deep
respect.
I honour the bronze as a story re-cast to draw our
attention to ancestral ways.
I whisper into the wind, Bear
Mother accept my apologies for any errors in judgement.
I acknowledge the importance of being aware and to
beware that ancient ways are reconstructions of ways and purposes not known to
us today.
May the sacred peace of the “Quiet Story” be heard
into the future.
Original
Art
A Rune Woman’s Story Way
The wind blows a story of bear and woman into hearing.
It is of a far off place no longer known to us. Like a
cat coming to the call of milk, the bear comes running when a call goes out for
wisdom and protection. The woman, a child of the Bear Clan, first offers Bear
Mother fruit and then blesses her with a kiss on the nose. The Bear is
startled. There was no pit or giant metal trap on the path to be cautious of.
Such love has never been shown to her before. The love between animals has
grown one giant step.
Words of Wisdom
If you
ever happen to meet up with a bear in the wilds don't wait to look into their
eyes. It's not the same experience. The risk of harm to you is real.
Closing Blessing
May those
who read this work enjoy it.
May all
be blessed by following the guidance of Goddess.
May the
Wind always blow in your journey's favour.
Final Words
I guard
this work with praise of Divine goodness for me personally;
Bless the LORD, my soul;
All my being, bless his holy name!
Psalm 103:1. ESV
Bible
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artio