Shaman Staff Walking Stick-Part 13

 It has been a while since I posted the words to the poem on the Shaman Staff walking stick.  I thought I'd begin with the poem this time just as a refresher, to get back in touch with what this art piece is all about.  Sometimes the projects take so long that it is easy to loose sight of the beginning of it on the blog.

We began as the dust of ancient stars.
Crossed time and space.
We took form in this place.
Living always with the hope of a better tomorrow.
And now we manifest in you.
Here past, present, and future are one.


Since my last blog post I have wood burned the section I had added onto the stick.  I draw all the images myself.  I use graph paper to help me keep the images to a size that can be fitted between the words of the poem spiraling around the walking stick.  It has been a challenge to draw something small that carry enough detail that can be done well with a wood burning tool.  At some points along the spiral, there is only three fourths to one inch in which to put an image.  At other points, the spiral opens wider.  The variance in width is caused by protrusions on the stick where branches once were.  In order to wrap the words around the stick I had to go above or below the protruding areas to be able to make sure that the words were legible.

There is a lot of empty space to fill on the stick.  At this point, I am still working with the section of the poem that says, "We took form in this place."  The stick is showing the diversity of forms that have developed in this world.  Creatures that swim, walk on the land, and fly.   I am also trying to express the shamanic world view that we are all connected by the commonality of our origin and that in our intelligence, we have chosen to inhabit different forms as directed by our need.  The creatures selected for the stick also reflect the food animals of a hunter gatherer society, animals that were used for pelts for clothing, and animals that were dangerous and that the tribe needed to be on guard against.   Even the insects have a functions.  Although it is not common in first world countries, many societies still eat insects as food.  And, where there are bees, there is honey to be had.

Of course there is also the other part of the story of the stick.  Folk tales and such information as there is on shaman's all suggest that they carried some sort of staff or wand that had strange markings on it.  I developed the idea that these markings had multiple functions.  The markings might have carried information on food sources, methods of catching or hunting their food, medicinal herbs, construction methods for clothing, baskets, and shelter.  The markings may also have acted as a touchstone to remind people of stories in their oral history so that important events were kept in order and information would not be forgotten by having a story attached to each mark on the walking stick.  As the stick progresses, more of these types of symbols will be added.

I have one more section of animals that will be wood burned onto the stick.  Then I will be moving on to other themes.  I'm not directly addressing the line of the poem that says, "Living always with the hope of a better tomorrow."  Having hope is an internal process.  I think that all life forms have some basic hopes.  Hope of enough to eat, hope for shelter,  hope of finding a mate, and hope that all that will be available tomorrow.   So from the end of the animals, I'll be moving on to the manifestation of humans.

A few of the wood burned pictures that I have wood burned on the stick are not shown.  Once I add more than a few photos, the blog platform starts giving me a hard time.  I'll add the missing ones next time.

The bottom photo is a long view of the Shaman Staff walking stick.  It is difficult to get a photo of the full stick and show any of the detail.