The Seashell Queen
I met with a student today who looked to me like the essence of everything smart and strong and capable in a woman. We had a wonderful, thorough discussion of why she failed my class and what she could do to be successful the next time around. She took full responsibility for the failure, listened attentively, and left with a plan in mind. She thanked me graciously. All in all, the woman impressed me as almost regal in the way she carried herself --- and part of that was because before she came in, I had been looking at a piece of art that features a queen.
I'm going to get into the work of art and its imagery, but first I'd like to point out that simply looking closely at a piece of art can change our perspectives on the world around us... on the way we look at people, and what we are looking for when we encounter them. Do you see what I mean? When people wonder what art is "good for," well... this is an argument you and I can make. Art teaches us how to look, what to look for, and even influences how we perceive what we see in others and in ourselves. Consider this young woman's song, for instance:
Now for the image I was referring to earlier: today, for artistic inspiration, I drew another card from my Robin Wood Art Tarot deck --- the card was reversed (upside down), which usually means the interpretation is not so good, if you believe in those types of things. As I wrote yesterday in my blog about the King of Wands (Lion-Hearted Moses), I tend to concentrate on the symbolism and beauty of the image itself. So, in the ideal upright position, the Queen of Cups sits in a large seashell near the ocean wearing a green, purple, and flowered robe and holding up her shining cup that seems to reflect a thousand points of light. Seagulls fly nearby. Here she is, and you can read more about her below:
I brought in the New Year at Hilton Head. It always seems to me that a week or so after leaving the beach, when the memories are not as fresh, I begin to try to visualize it, as if by doing so I can hold on to it longer. Again, this is where art can come in and help us out. If I want to go the sea, I can go there in my mind... I can even envision myself as a queen sitting in a seashell. :>)
More importantly, I can see a queen in the face of my student and treat her as if she were that important... because to a true teacher, she is.
What it is that you want to see in your world? Start with an artistic impression, and see where it takes your vision!
