Can you imagine that you are the ARTIST of YOUR LIFE? … the Architect? the Author, the Writer, and the Editor of your life’s play? And as the CREATOR of your life, you actually have artistic license to create it as you desire. That is right! You DO NOT have to follow anyone else’s rules, directions, or demands. You are free to create the life you love as you want. You can color inside, or outside of the lines of what is offered you. You can copy life, or you can create it entirely new without reference to what has existed before.
The greater question is, are you consciously, intentionally creating your life? Or are you doing what you believe is required to pay the bills, to do your job, to be in a relationship, or not, and so on and so forth? Are you happy? Are you expanding and living the adventure you hoped? Or are you struggling?
And, one thing you must know is that as you are focused on and curious about your life you desire to live with all your heart, the Universe, the Quantum Field, will conspire to help you get what you want. Whether you believe in metaphysics, quantum mechanics/physics, or Divine guidance, I can tell you that the Universe has your back. The important thing you must know is that you must find ways to give your attention and focus on your desires and NOT your fears. That is the vibrational clue to getting what you want.
If this story moves you even a little bit keep reading what I have discovered over the years about how Creation of anything in your life works. You do have the ability for great transformation and change when you are ready and willing. The Universe has laws that support everyone in making their life what they want it to be. If you are in suffering, feel stuck, or limited in any way, you have subconscious beliefs and blocks that are born of trauma, fear, or fright. They are imprints that come from messages from your parents, your teachers, and society typically. They may be direct experiences from people you know or don’t know. Wherever you had the experience doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you have the tools to shift out of that experience into a new one. It is possible. I did. And if I have done this so can you!
Before you can create something new, it is important to stop and still yourself. In shamanism this is referred to as going into the great void of possibility. This is the first step of stopping the madness. This is a time to go within. Imagine this void as a place of great energy, possibility, and even chaos. If you have been going and going it is likely you need to stop and rest before you try to begin anything new. This is the place of the North in the medicine wheel, the place of the night, and the place of winter. This is the place where we dream anew. You may also call this the subconscious mind.
To make change it is important we get out of our conscious, thinking mind. Settling into the stillness of nature in winter, or the dark of night is a doorway to the mystery of life. This is the place where our dreams live, and also the place where we may have stored away fear patterns that hold us captive in an unhappy, unconscious life.
When you are ready to dream a new life into being, step away from the linear reality that is causing you pain. Take a break. Retreat into nature on a mindfulness walk. Breathe in the beauty of nature no matter her season. Step away from the people, the places, and the things where life is out of order. Find a time and space where you can reflect, journal, and be still. Let go of all doing. What is it like to just be?
Drink a calming cup of tea. Light a candle. Burn a fire and gaze into its flames. Take a nap. What do you need to go within to your private inner spaces? Allow your imaginations and dreams of a better life arise. Watch them. Notice how you feel. Release any emotion that may want to flow. Invite in the guidance that is ready to drop into your awareness now. Rest. Restore yourself to the peace that is awaiting you.
Once you have rested, set aside a time to look at your life with great honesty, observation, and objectivity. Not better or worse than what it is.
Get real. Are you happy? How do you feel when you think about your job? Do you feel excited or do you feel drained? Are you living for a paycheck? How do you feel when you think about the people in your life? Do you want to leave the one you married but are afraid of the chaos and change? Do you enjoy your closest friends, or do they disturb you with their gossip and how they treat you? How is your health?
Getting honest is just the beginning. If you have been putting up with people, situations, and your work, most likely you are exhausted, depressed, and not having such a great time of it all. Are you ‘bucking’ up? Do you have the motto “no pain, no gain.” You can work hard and still have a great time if only you are aligned with what you do as work, or aligned with the people around you.
It is time to take a personal inventory of every area of your life. This gives way to the path of what you can do differently. When you begin to imagine something different you will get the support needed to change your world.
One day at art school I was in painting class with my teacher Wilbur Niewald. He was an amazing Cezanne-like oil painter with fierce observation skills. He came up to me and the still-life oil painting I had probably been working on for 100 hours. The painting was just beginning to ‘pop’ - meaning look good! As he looked over my shoulder at the still life and the painting, he began to show me how to make the painting better. He picked up one of my brushes and dabbed it into some blue paint and proceeded to correct the painting, “Your composition will be much better if you move the still life up about an inch and a half.” Then he began to sketch into my painting where things should be moved to. I cringed with some expletives in mind, and thought, “OMG. I am going to basically begin all over on top of what I have worked on for hours and hours.”
Though I didn’t like what he had to tell me, he was my honest, objective point of view that was guiding me to creating a more beautiful expression in this painting. I didn’t want to hear it as I knew it meant more work to get what I wanted. I had an emotional response too, feeling a bit of defeat and limitation. Yet, it was exactly the reflection and guidance I needed to create change.
What will you do if you notice your life is an inch and a half off? Are you willing to change? Are you curious how much better it might be if you dive in and refocus? Can you imagine a better outcome?
Curiosity is a key component to creating anything you desire. What adventures are you curious about living in your life? Are you curious about a better life? Have you begun to imagine what it is like to be in a different job, to be an entrepreneur, to leave your relationship, to get into a relationship, to have more money, etc? Or are you curious about how hard it is going to be? Are you defeated before you begin? Wherever your focus lies in your curiosity is the direction you are headed. What do you really want to create?
I remember a time in my mid-20s when I was unhappy, struggling with anxiety, working a dead-end job that really wasn’t what I hoped for or wanted. I already had a degree from college, following a path to work in the ‘real world’ with a regular paycheck rather than follow my heart’s desires. I had always been a good artist, perhaps great in the eyes of some. Yet when it came to going on to getting a college degree and finding a job I was told, “You are a great artist, however, what are you REALLY going to do when you go to work?” In other words, the message was you can’t make a living being an artist. You aren’t valuable. You aren’t worthy. And of course, you are going to struggle because that isn’t a REAL job.”
Though I had graduated with a B.S. in my early 20s, I was doing something entirely different than my degree hoping to do more of my art. I was in advertising and I was miserable. I recall talking to my boyfriend at age 25 and said, “I would just love to go to art school for one year.” He said something that turned out to be very profound i moving toward my true desires. “Why not?” he said. And instead of thinking of all the reasons not to go, I began to get curious as to how to go. I began to explore schools, their admissions policies, costs, grants and loans, and how to photograph and submit my portfolio. With that research I decided upon Kansas City Art Institute and submitted a portfolio. I was immediately accepted! Within 18 months I moved and began a three year adventure to getting my BFA in art and painting.
Quantum physics proves what metaphysicians, mystics, and shamans have taught for eons. Whatever you are curious about, whatever your focus is on, is what you create. Specifically, when you focus your curiosity on something, the quantum field must answer. If you ask, “What if and how can I go to art school?” and begin to focus on this, give your attention to this and how amazing it might be, the Universe conspires to help you make it so. With your attention and curiosity you begin to stir the quantum field. On the other hand if you are curious about how hard it will be to get to school, you will stir the fear and all the reasons you can’t get what you want. Your limiting thoughts and feelings will create through the fear, rather than through the vibration of something better.
With honesty and curiosity to create something new you’ll realize you have to face your fears and have willingness to make the changes required
How willing are you to begin the process of redesigning your life? Are you willing to refocus - no matter the effort in living in greater joy, harmony, abundance, and happiness? Are you willing to ask for help? Are you willing to face the fear that has kept you trapped?
I recall the fear and frustration I had in knowing I was going to basically repaint an entire painting because the composition needed shifting upward just an inch and a half. Sitting in the art studio with my teacher looking over my shoulder was daunting. I felt sick to my stomach. All sorts of thoughts ran through my head that were born of frustration, a bit of defeat, and wondering if I would actually make it worse rather than better. After a short while I began to refocus past the frustration and fear of screwing it up. I began to repaint the composition, redefine the color, and shift everything up an inch and a half as directed by my teacher.
Life is a series of of choices and actions. Whatever we create, whether it be a canvas with paint, a sculpture, a book, a job, a relationship, or our own bodies is ultimately an experimental process. Fear is at the core of stopping us from writing the book we want to write, losing weight, getting the job we want, and ultimately taking the risk of a better life no matter what it might be.
Mastery in any area of life requires the willingness to do what it takes to get what we want. When we set forth in love and excitement rather than fear, the journey is one of fulfillment of your true heart’s desires. The effort is well worth it and part of the reward.
Any great artist, writer, actor, architect, or director learns to let go in the process of creating their masterpiece. It is a grand experiment and adventure to create a great piece of art or a fabulous book. There’s always the process of editing, correcting, and refocusing.
All acts of creativity are also acts of destruction. Birth is connected to death and death is connected to birth. When I paint is applied to a canvas, the blank canvas is changed to something else. It no longer exists so a painting can be born.
SACRED destruction is the process of intentionally letting go, alchemizing what was, making it sacred or an important part of creating the new life. Rather than destroy all of an old job or old relationship, it is a spiritual practice to clear out the things that were difficult, and yet find the gold within the experience. The experience is here to teach you about alchemy, wisdom, and mastery in your life.
Notice how you feel as I speak to fear. What does your body tell you when you think of moving out of your current situation into something you desire more? Do you feel exhilarated at the possibilities of your new life? Or do you have a stomach ache, feel anxiety, grief, or other pain?
Hawaiian Goddess Pele is a great example of the power of Sacred Destruction and Creation that we can all learn from. Pele, being the Mother Goddess of Volcanoes and Lightening awakens and brings her lava flows when man has disrespected the land. Her fire and lava flow across the land burning away the impurities of man’s unconsciousness. In the process her lava flows give birth to new life as a new island. This great mother teaches us to use the power of fire to burn away the impurities in our lives so we can enjoy new life.
Mother Nature is constant in her teachings about flow, cycles, and seasons of creation. We can apply her wisdom to our own lives to move out of stagnation, depression, lack, and unhappiness. Once we have become willing we can begin to burn away, to let go, and to correct our course to a more beautiful landscape, within and all around.
Whatever change you are embarking on requires a time to release and let go so you can move into a new you and a new life. There are many ways you can approach your shift. I like to add ritual and ceremony to my journey of release, whether it be a fire ceremony or painting over an old painting. Both are physical acts to help me move the mental and emotional energy beyond the limited or old life experiences.
Make a safe and sacred space to explore letting go. Set an intention that is clear for what you desire to release and what you desire to bring in. Burn sage or other herbs and incenses to clear out old dense energies. Turn off your electronic devices. Tell others to leave you alone for the period of time you need for your ceremonies. Light a candle, and/or set an altar to hold your prayers and focus.
When I am ready for change I love both fire ceremony AND going into the studio to abstractly paint over an old canvas with the intention to release, as well as to bring in the healing and shift needed for me to move forward in my life.
Before going to the fire - Set some time aside to reflect and dump out your thoughts and emotions onto paper if you like. With intention, release your negative thoughts, anger, frustrations, resentments, blames, hurts, etc. onto paper. I recommend writing and bringing that through your hands rather than on your computer. Be as physical with it as possible. Your body needs the release as much as your mind. Use color, symbol, pictures, and story to tell the old story you no longer want to imprison your life. The release in such a manner is cathartic in and of itself. Also, gather any organic items that represent the pain of the past, or the limitations that have held you stagnant. If you are letting go of a job, it may be related paperwork or contracts that have held you. If it is a relationship you are releasing it may be cards, letters, and photographs you want to let go of that hold past promises that can no longer come to fruition. Whatever you gather take it to the fire.
Throw everything into the fire with conviction of letting the past go in all forms. Speak out loud what you are letting go as you desire. Then acknowledge it is done. This is an important piece of completion that sets you free. Be done with it. No more. And so it is.
Then stand close enough to the fire to feel its heat. The fire energy purifies your auric field of dense energies. In the process it raises your vibration and fills you with chi, prana, life force. This fortifies you for your next steps to create your desires.
Use a canvas that is either new or old and art supplies that you are not attached to. Your supplies are completely up to you. Focus your intention to let go of the old energy, the negative thoughts, and emotions through the paint, brushes, hands, and tools onto canvas. This is a very physical, somatic experience beyond your intellect. FEEL into the energy of the limited life experiences. Anger, rage, sadness, and any emotions that are connected to the old life all want to come out of you into the paint and onto the canvas. Let go with all the veracity and emotion possible.
As you release notice the shifts you will begin to experience that free you. You should begin to feel lighter and more free. Keep going until you feel the shift. I literally went into a trance the first times I let go with great emotion. I became very calm after I released betrayal, rage, and fright. Naturally I began to bring in a new vision, clarity of message and imagery, that was my freedom.
Once you feel done with the releasing, shift into painting your healing, your healing, your new energy. Be open to the flow of love, of healing, and new direction to come into the canvas in color, symbol, and messages that you not only see but feel. You may well open up your psychic senses as a result of this exercise. So pay attention to the messages. If they are born of love they are from your higher self.
Once you let go of the old story and fear that keeps you stuck, you will be able to focus on what you truly desire. Your focus, along with your mental, emotional, and physical energy and actions will direct your life. Whether you want to shift the composition and color of a painting, or you want to leave a relationship, you must be able to focus toward what you desire rather than what you fear.
Use your art, writing, imagination, and curiosity to lean toward what you want to experience in your life. If you still have doubt, depression, or hopelessness, go back to the releasing exercise with sacred destruction to get clear before you move forward. Clearing the fear is essential to getting to a place of moving forward. Taking action toward your true heart’s desires won’t work if you are still harboring fear and limiting beliefs. If you keep doing your best to move forward and are repeating the old patterns, step back in the step by step process until you begin to feel free and safe in your body, emotions, and thought process.
In mystery school in my 20s I came to understand a universal law and truth about focus. It goes something like this: Whatever you focus on expands. This seemingly simple truth is not always easy to act out, yet it is important we learn to do so.
Notice where you are focused. Turn off the bad news, walk away from negative conversations and nay sayers. Find supportive friends and loved ones. Create an environment in your life where you are more and more easily focused in the power of positivity and potentiation. If you want change yet life in a negative environment you will be like a fish swimming up stream. Toxic energy will sabotage your movement forward, cause stagnation in your growth, and not only slow you down but most likely stop you all together.
When you imagine your new life, what does it look like and feel like? Who surrounds you and cheers you on? If you can’t think of any one person, then work with reference points of people you know who have good support systems. How does it feel when you think of them and their relationships? Study the energy of their relations and then see what it feels like when you imagine them. Take a walk in nature and feel into the peace and harmony. Winter has one feel. Often quiet and more still. Spring another feel, with new life, birds chirping, and green coming out. What are the sensations in your body that bring peace when you move into environments that are harmonious. Let them be your guide to focus into peace, harmony, and joy. As you notice these sensations they will give way to restoration of your own inner peace. From this place you can focus and choose more harmoniously the life you desire.
Synchronicity - When you begin to focus on your true desires the Universe will send you the support needed to create change. Synchronicity, coincidences, signs, symbols, and messages will begin to appear before you. You may have a dream that reveals something that is important in your journey to new life. Something will stream across your devices with a message that is profound and important. A friend will start a conversation focused exactly on what you need to know. Suffice it to say if you have become curious and focused toward what you want to live, the world will begin to give you the breadcrumbs and clues you need to follow.
As you imagine and begin to seed new life it is important to protect your dreams. Imagine how an embryo in a womb, or a newborn infant needs nurturance and protection from harmful elements, your dreams too need protection, nurturance, and support. Share your hopes and dreams with those who love and respect you. Avoid the nay sayers and negative nellies. Anyone and anything toxic can down play your potential, playing into old fears and doubts. There are times to keep things to yourself and only the most trusted individuals. There is a time to announce your new life to the world. Be discerning of who to share with, and when to share. Avoid the need for approval from people who may never ever approve of your choices. Your dreams of a new life are precious and need you to be a fierce, loving, and protective parent. Weed out your doubts and fears as you dream anew. Weed out the people and environments that carry those same doubts and fears along the way. You will be happy that you did.
Deep in the jungles of South America you will find the black puma and the black jaguars who come to sit at the waters edge at night in the darkness. They avoid detection of all around. These big cats never chase their prey. Instead, they align with where their prey will come to drink or eat. In the darkness they sit without lifting a paw or tensing a muscle. They sit in observation and watch until what they desire is before them. At just the right time they will pounce upon their prey and get what they want without any seeming effort at all.
This teaching is an integral teaching about alignment, rest, and effortlessness. As you dream a new reality you will indeed have work to do to create what you want. And, as you relax and let go of the fear that holds you back, you will be more aligned with effortless action. Pay attention to what is before you. Is it in alignment? Does it feel good? If it doesn’t, most likely you are not at the right watering hold where your desires exist. Follow the plan here and you will indeed be more and more in the place where life gives you what you enjoy and what you desire.
Love, wisdom, and teachings with Katherine Skaggs
Intentionally bring in the spiritual medicine of Sacred Space to transform all areas of your life. The energy we live in is either medicine that helps us thrive or can be toxic and deadening. Learning how to set and keep high-vibrational energy in our outer environment helps us more greatly keep it in our mental, emotional, and physical bodies. We are spiritual energies moving through time, space, and a world of duality. Staying grounded and centered in our heart and soul spaces in our modern world can be challenging to say the least. Keeping our home and work environments clean and beautiful is a physical and spiritual adventure.
Join award-winning artist and author Katherine Skaggs to learn more about the spiritual medicine of creating sacred space in all areas of your life. This 33 minute video guides you through clearing with smoke and smudge; how to work with smokeless options of flower waters and essential oils to clear energy and to raise the vibration; how to set and work with an altar to bring in energy and connect to spirit guides and helpers; how to work with prayer and intention to set your space and to invoke positive energy; how to honor your spirit guides and helpers and get them to assist you in intentional ways to heal and to bless; how to bring in crystals to ground, clear, and expand energy; the importance of flowers to invoke higher-dimensional spirit helpers, and set a high-frequency energy; and the importance of having spiritual, sacred art and beauty in your space to create reverence, sacredness, and power through love and wisdom. If you love this video make sure to get Katherine Skaggs' award-winning book Artist Shaman Healer Sage; Timeless Wisdom, Practices, Ritual, and Ceremony to Transform Your Life and Awaken Your Soul.
To work with art and creativity to heal is to claim your birthright! You create with every thought, every emotion, every word, and every action you take. Creative energy is the same energy as healing energy. How you focus your creativity determines how you direct your healing energy and its effect on you and the world around you. I once asked an astrologer friend to look at my chart to give me some insights. She said, "Katherine, you are sooooo creative! You know you create all your shit, right?" Oh, the truth is so hard sometimes. Yes, I can create beautiful paintings, write a multi-award-winning book, and do many things well. And I also am the one who makes all my messes if I choose and act from hurt, fear, trauma, or unconsciousness. Good news: I am also the one who can rewrite the script of my life, let go of the tough stuff, and transform it into greater love and wisdom. I am here to help you to create with greater love and harmony as you let go of the difficult stuff.
You may or may not believe you are a creative, an artist, or a healer. Yet, in my experience, everyone has amazing creative energy and artistry within themselves. Suppose you learn to connect to and unleash the energy of your creative Self? In the process you will discover healing and empowerment at core levels. (I speak more in-depth about cultivating the inner Artist and the inner Healer in my book Artist Shaman Healer Sage through various practices, ceremonies, and rituals beyond this article.) As the Artist and the Healer of your life you have an innate knowing of how to work with art and creativity to heal.
You don't have to know how to paint or draw to connect to your creativity. You may love to write, dance, cook, or garden. You may be a fantastic problem solver. It is an unlimited process that offers excellent alchemy.
Life on earth is a school for the soul. It can be amazingly wonderful. And it can be messy, challenging, filled with grief, and downright complicated! It is a mixture of dark and light, good and bad, and all the in-between. There are always cycles, no matter the journey. The great question is how do you handle the cycles? Do you know how to create intentionally? Do you know how to alchemize the challenges? Can you access your creative self to more positively navigate your Earth journey?
As an artisan and mystic, I naturally use art and creativity as my healing tool for transformation. Many years ago, I discovered I could go to my canvas and dump all my painful emotions and thoughts onto a canvas with paint. In doing so, I began to release the pain in my emotional body through a bodily, sensory process. I was not 'thinking' what to do. I intuitively, and energetically put red paint and black paint onto canvas. It was abstract. It was freeing. And it opened me up to a mystical experience where I went into Samadhi. I had an ecstatic experience of release and illumination where I was completely calm and at peace. When a face came onto the canvas I asked, "Who is this?" I heard, "Dakini Kundalini Mama." Dakini is Sanskrit for sky dancer. It also means the free, illuminated mind.
This process not only brought me peace, but allowed me the change I needed to navigate a difficult situation with a business partner break-up and end of business. It helped me to heal rage and come to center so I could find my way to new life.
I have taught this process many times and continue to encourage it through painting, writing, dancing, throwing clay, or any form of creative flow where you can somatically release the old and bring in the new energy that heals. Below I describe the working with art and creativity process to heal again through a personal experience. It is my perfect process to let go, to alchemize, and to heal.
Most recently, I had an experience of grief and loss that I was having a hard time processing. I returned to my studio to paint out the grief onto canvas in a process painting. My only goal was to clear this and to heal. In the process, my guides came through and helped me return to harmony.
I got an old canvas out of the closet that I had never finished, nor did it seem I ever would. I got white gesso out and ceremonially focused my angst, grief, and emotions onto canvas. With each stroke, I spoke out loud what I was letting go of. I sent my emotion into the paint to release what could never be and what was out of harmony.
Over the white came black—the black mixed with the white where it had not dried, creating grays. There were lighter and darker areas, faces, crosses, and patterns of energy flow. All strokes and variations in color were symbolic of the journey through the void, the unknown, and the pain of letting go. The faces spoke to me as if to say, "You are not alone. We are here with you. Let go and come home to the love awaiting you. It is already inside of you. And we are holding you."
With each stroke, another layer peeled away, and a new vision came to speak to me. I added color and clarity to the faces, whirling energy patterns, and crosses.
One face in particular came into focus with healing and love that was very apparent. I sat with her and felt into her love and support. More greens, blues, and pink hues came onto the canvas in glazes, bringing healing frequencies. Everything was still very abstract, yet with emerging form.
Then, complete abstraction again, painting over the faces in more glazes until they disappeared and another layer began. Often symbolic of our journey - letting go, new form, experience, then releasing again, getting messages, and new awareness creating a new form.
I sat with my dogs and took a break. In the process, I opened up William Henry's site online, where he talks of the Starwalker, Mother Mary, and Pleiadian Goddess energy. Immediately, I recognized that the energy coming onto my canvas was in the form of Mother Mary. She is one of my main guides. And she is the Starwalker coming to help me restore and come home to my true essence. I knew the stars were speaking to me. I knew there was clear guidance and love to help me heal trauma from its origins.
Let this process be your process for moving energy, using creativity to let go of painful old patterns, and to bring in healing energy.
The process applies, whether it be to paint or to dance, to garden or to cook.
I hope this is a helpful process to support you in healing and coming to harmony in yourself. Let me know how you approach the process and your breakthroughs.
Additional Support for your creativity and healing process:
The Art of Journey 6-month Course
Work with shamanic journey, intentional creativity, and intention to open your creativity and healing.
Enjoy the journey from blank canvas to the beginning of paint creating form of the Jaguar Shaman Hummingbird Medicine Painting by Katherine Skaggs.
Jaguar Shaman Hummingbird Medicine is a reflection of Katherine's deep connection to the plant and animal medicines of the Shipibo shamans. The jaguar is one of Katherine's main totem animals. The plant medicines of tobacco and ayahuasca are also favorite spirit helpers. And hummingbird is always a well-needed medicine and totem of joy. If you look deeply on the left side of the painting you will also see owl emerging from the bark of the tree.
This Jaguar Shaman's nickname has been Shaman Guy, the shapeshifter, as he was coming onto canvas. He is a tobaccero - or shaman who is an expert at working with the sacred plant medicine of tobacco. He heals with tobacco, and calls in many medicines and their songs to bring healing to others.
The medicine of this shaman, the night time, the jaguar, tobacco, and Madre' Ayahuasca, are all calling you to the pure medicine of the heart that hummingbird gives. Shaman Guy holds his hand out with an all seeing eye to gift you the medicine of true sight from the soul's perspective. He reminds you to see through the illusions on the human journey that you may return to joy in all moments. Move outside of linear, ordinary reality. Move deeper into union with the medicine of within. As you focus on, and most of all live within the heart space of joy you will create it wherever you are. Shapeshift your life as you gaze upon this imagery.
Available at www.katherineskaggs.com
Imbolc is the Celtic celebration of the Irish Goddess Brigid, corresponding to the Gaelic Fire Festivals to celebrate the coming of Spring (the day falling halfway between the Spring equinox and Winter solstice.)
This year Imbolc falls on the New Moon AND the Lunar New Year! It is the perfect time to set intentions for new, and expansive ways of being, new life! What projects do you want to bring to life? What energies do you desire to give light to?
As Imbolc traditionally signals the end of the worst of winter and the beginning of spring, it is a wonderful time to relax, let go, and focus love and excitement for the potent new life coming to you now.
Call upon the goddess Brigid today, the great Irish goddess of the hearth, healing, poetry, artistry, and blacksmithing. In the Mythical Goddess Tarot Brigid is the 14th Major Arcana Card, Alchemy (inspired by the ART card in the Thoth tarot deck.) Here Brigid inspires you to find your own creative spark of inspiration, letting it blend with the alchemical powers of the Divine Creative Force to manifest the power of beauty in your life.
Welcome the Goddess Brigid to assist you/all of us in transforming our world through your Divine creative spark. May she bring the illumination of her fire and artistry to support each of us as we leave the challenges of winter behind and welcome the promise of spring, and the light returning into our lives.
With the combined energies of Imbolc, the New Moon, and the Lunar New Year know that change is upon us. The light is returning and we are budding into a new time. Join me in the light with love.
#Brigid, #MythicalGoddessTarot, #imbolc2022, #lunarnewyear2022, #NewMoon2022
As part of my offering for February 1st, Imbolc, the New Moon, and the Lunar New Year — BIG ENERGY—from the Masters of Light Wisdom Oracle coming mid 2022, I invite the medicine of Alchemy and Archangel Uriel to work with Brigid. Let us light the fires of our hearts, that we may purify and make sacred the life we have lived so far. Let this sacred fire break open the seeds of the new that we may be abundant in our new cycles unfolding. Abundant in love, in community, in joy, in good health, in all our relations, and in all we create.
Archangel Uriel is the angel of wisdom, Divine light, and fire that purifies. Expect life to be fully transformed as Uriel brings the alchemical, purifying powers of the Phoenix Rising into every part of your being.
Be not afraid, for Archangel Uriel brings light into the darkness, the mystery, and the unknown. It is time to put your fears, and old ways of life into the fire that purifies and transforms. It is time to let go.
Uriel’s fire and light are born from the highest, most Divine energies of unconditional love. Let this intense light and love clean and purify your heart from sorrow and distress. This will restore the peace within yourself as you are then able to reconnect to your own Divinity.
Out of the ashes of old dreams comes new life. Trust in the process. Connect to the Light and be reassured in your healing process.
It is time for great change. What is in need of purification in your life? What is dull, lacking light, mundane, and void of magic?
Archangel Uriel offers all you need to shapeshift and alchemize your life. Call upon him now to assist you in bringing new life through the release of the old.
Refocus in this fiery light and you will find the wisdom and love needed to bring new life. As your heart let’s this purifying light in, you will discover the most beautiful blessings that come from the ashes of the greatest disappointments.You are on the spiritual path to enlightenment as you move out of the darkness into the light.
#Mastersoflightwisdomoracle, #archangeluriel, #alchemy, #imbolc, #newmoon, #lunarnewyear,#katherineskaggs, #fireceremony
With Imbolc, the New Moon, and the Lunar New Year coinciding, it is a great time for a fire ceremony. Call upon Brigid and Archangel Uriel to assist you in bringing the light into all areas of your life, birthing new realities as you transform and release what has been. With this there is a great expansion of Divine, creative energy, that purifies and gives birth to new realities.
#ArtistShamanHealerSage book
With much love, Katherine Skaggs
Can you believe it is a New Year? We've graduated from the cycle of 2021, some of us a little bruised and tattered, yet hopefully counting our blessings for all this is good amidst the really challenging, tempering times we have been adventuring. It is a time of endings, graduations, letting go, dreaming anew, reflecting, alchemizing, and moving into a new energy and cycle.
Prayers, blessings, curiosities, and imaginations are the way we focus our energy to create, to bring the formless to form. Quiet time, time of ritual and ceremony, meditation, journaling, divination, and creativity are all excellent ways to shift out of the old and move into the new. As we enter the unknown of a new year, it is a good time to let go of our old stories, past hurts and triumphs, so we may turn our focus to present time and potentiation.
Have you considered what you truly desire in this moment? Have you let go of limiting stories, thought forms, emotions, habits, and ways of being? If not, now is a perfect time to include that with your first steps into 2022 so you may enjoy the riches of a new experience, of a new dream. We are powerful, creative beings constantly choosing what is next. We are creating as we go... is it conscious, or unconscious? Now is the time to move into greater clarity and focus for clearly creating with more harmony, love, health, well-being, joy, prosperity, and abundance in all areas of our lives. No matter what is failing, there is a new, potent opportunity at hand.
May 2022 bring many adventures reaped with great love, hope, wisdom, healing, prosperity, joy, fulfillment, and illumination. May you, and I, and all of humanity harvest the good from all that has been, honoring it as sacred so we may be wise and present in our lives. May we release that which no longer serves us, composting the pain, the attachments and suffering, alchemizing each sacred experience into gold as best as we can, beyond anything we could ever imagine possible. May we receive the blessings that follow the composting — the rich soil to plan the seeds of desire and intention for new life that comes in spring, for growth, healing, and abundant restoration.
Over the last weeks I have taken some time to paint in the process of giving way to vision, and immersing myself in my creative process to bring healing to my own body and life. I could feel an Ancient One, a Grandmother, standing with me, showing me her wisdom, and bringing blessings of healing as I let go of an old pattern and way of being. With her came my dear friend Owl, to assist me in cleaning my body and my energy. Both offered much love and wisdom for my personal journey, and for what I have to share with you.
There is no mistake that Ancient Grandmother Owl Medicine painting came to canvas and imagery and words the past two weeks or so to help me. And as always to be here for you.
She walks with each of us as we open to her presence through our desires for wholeness. She reminds us that we cycle through many dreaming adventures, birthing experiences, adolescence, motherhood/fatherhood, and old age upon our earth journeys. These experiences offer us the opportunity where we once again must let go of what was, the opportunity to harvest the gold from the experience, and the opportunity to be still and move inward to receive, to integrate, and to eventually dream again.
She now cheers us on in our journey through winter, and the place of dreamtime. She encourages us to become conscious dreamers, present in each breath, observing and allowing, dreaming anew as we welcome the cycle of a new year.
Ancient Grandmother Owl Medicine urges each of us to be present in this time so we may be grateful for all we have. She encourages us to give through open hearts. This path of gratitude and reciprocity will assist us in being in peace once again, and the place of compassionate love that heals. Ancient Grandmother Owl Medicine says to look with the eye of a kind and generous heart, a generous nature. For here we shall experience the vast love of Spirit within and all around.
What dreams shall we dream in 2022? Where is your focus, your heart, your attention? What are you committed to in the new cycle?
Will you join me and Ancient Grandmother Owl Medicine in dreaming a world of love, of kindness, of connectivity, of reciprocity, and healing? Will you dream with me from the depths of your being into this experience of life with all your relations, with your work, your thoughts, your hopes, your dreams, and your presence?
Blessings be my friend, Katherine Skaggs
Whether it be drawing, painting, doing a soul portrait, writing, or making a shamanic tool (yes, I make drums, rattles, feather tools and more), I experience healing, connection, and joy.
Creativity is the very essence of life. This summer I redesigned my front garden, put in a medicine wheel and recreated various flower beds and that was equally joyful for me. My yard was my canvas. 
Early in life I would escape into my room and draw, and later paint to get away from the rumble of ordinary life chaos I felt in my family or the world at large. Immersion in the creative process put me in touch with my inner world, that has led me to my true spiritual nature.
I was in my late 20s when I began upon my metaphysical, spiritual path. As I began to get exposed to these teachings I began to see art that conceptualized the ideas of dreams and the spirit world and that which is beyond the physical world.
This insp
ired me to draw and explore these ideas through my art. Yet, it was when I opened a metaphysical store that I began to dive in wholly. I saw art by Alex Grey and Susan Seddon Boulet in books and on calendars during that time and ‘knew I was supposed to do something like that.’ This is when I began to paint and go further on the path. Then I asked my guides, “How does my art and spiritual path come together?” It took a little while, probably a year!
But finally I heard, “Soul Portraits!” It was loud, and clear in my mind as if I was speaking with someone right in front of me. And I knew exactly what it meant…and it scared the holy daylights out of me! LOL. I have to laugh now as it is the most wonderful experience I can share with another person, couple or family.
Visionary art is transcendent art. It is art that reflects the mystical, the spiritual worlds, and the unseen world that animates the physical world. It connects our conscious mind to the eternal Divine essence. It is not only ‘visionary’, but energetic and often very healing for an individual to engage with. Visionary art awakens higher consciousness.
Soul Portraits are the process of reflecting a true soul’s essence back to them through a channeled image, words, and energy flowing onto canvas. Soul portraits are truly living paintings, assisting an individual in reconnecting with their eternal essence.
Each painting is a beautiful portal to the Divine. It has inspired color, symbol, and story to ‘see’ the recipient, and to remind them who they truly are beyond this physical life, supporting them in fully connecting to their essence.
You can see some examples of my soul portraits here.
Spirit Guide Paintings
It has continued to flow out from there, evolving to channeling Divine Beings, angels, masters, and light beings into form on canvas, with their messages and healing energies. In addition to soul portraits I bring in spirit guides for individuals and groups. There are personal spirit guides, and animal totems, in addition to larger group guides who make themselves known.
When they come in they bring higher guidance for an individual to heal, awaken, and grow similarly to a soul portrait. Yet I find the power and presence of a guide is powerful in another way, helping one to know they are never alone, and have support in their human life. I have brought in guides during group sessions too, who bring a message for that specific group, but also for the collective.
Tell us about your 44 card Masters of Light OracleI am very excited to say I am working diligently to finish the cards and writing so we can go to press by the end of 2021. This is a culmination of guidance that has come for many years now. There will be images of Divine Masters that I have painted since 2004 to 2021. You can see a sneak preview here.
Angels, Ascended Masters, Mayan Masters, Goddesses, and many other Divine Beings of Light are here to bring guidance, healing, activation, awakening and support for discovering your true Divine Self.
Every image and its message is high frequency, loving, and awakening when viewed. This oracle is vibrationally transformative to one’s consciousness and is a tool for awakening beyond the sleepiness of ordinary human life. These are master beings who are here to assist us in awakening on the soul’s journey, that we may love more greatly.
Sometimes the guides just come to me and ask to be painted, and to bring their message to the world through my own personal experience and needs. Other times, individuals commission me to bring a guide in, known or unknown, and then I engage with them on a spiritual level and ask them to reveal themselves to me. And I work with my intentions and call them to me if I know I want to engage them.
This began very clearly when I called in the 22 Goddesses for the Mythical Goddess Tarotin 2006 to 2008. I have many stories of how each Goddess came to me and showed me how to paint her. It was a conversation with the Divine, with her essence, archetype, story and message. Believe me, each Goddess, each Divine Being I paint is alive and well.
Prior to that, Mother Mary presented herself to me in 2004 in visions for three days, showing me she wanted me to paint her. Then she woke me on the third night and told me to get up and get the largest canvas I had and paint her. Well, I did get up in the middle of the night. I could not ignore her! And I painted 85% of a 3 foot by 4 foot canvas during that night. She beamed unconditional love to me and through the art that night she let me know the sacredness of sacred art that is created to transmit unconditional love and vibrations of wisdom into the world.
That was the beginning of me understanding that Mother Mary is one of my main guides and helpers to bring love and wisdom into this world through the art, and the products created from the art. The painting, a print of the painting, or a card and oracle of the works are each portals to bring light and awareness into a world that needs love and guidance.
What other works have you created to assist others?I am the artist and original publisher of the Mythical Goddess Tarot (author Sage Holloway). This year it won an Iconic Gold award with the Coalition of Visionary Resources. And I just released my new book Artist Shaman Healer Sage – Timeless Wisdom, Practices, Ritual, and Ceremony to Transform Your Life and Awaken Your Soul.
It is a shamanic, spiritual guidebook to empower you to change your life through understanding ancient wisdom practices for current times. It is also filled with more than 70 full color pieces of my artwork to inspire and uplift.
Once someone has asked for a soul portrait or spirit guide painting, I ask them to be quiet and focus on their true heart’s desires for getting a soul portrait or guide painting. What is the intention? What do they most need now? How would they like to heal? What changes would they like? What does their heart, soul, body, and life need?
When a person is called to get a soul portrait or guide painting there is usually some seed of desire that gets them here. Their soul is calling them. It may come through desire to heal the body or heart, or to expand into their spiritual life, or work life, or… It can be anything truly.
Perhaps they have seen a soul portrait and think “I have to do that!” Once we have connected I know they have been called to waking up to a new level of self awareness. So I ask them, “What is your intention or prayer for yourself right now?” This is part of the opening of the doorway to their essence energies and the visions they give me energetically when we sit together for their session (whether it be in person or via zoom.) If they are at a distance I have them email me a recent photo for physical reference. Yet, it is their energy and spirit that guides me in the symbol, color and story they most need to experience.
Once the portrait has been painted and goes home with a client, I encourage them to then regularly sit in open eyed meditation with the painting. Since it is a painting, sitting in meditation, and reflection with the imagery and artwork, it is a place for the client to re-member, to receive, and to awaken through their experience. Journaling and reflection is part of their sacred journey once they have received the art and the session.
The Divine is within you, no matter your human experience. Be curious about it. Ask for support. Say hello to your guides and the higher energies of love, of wisdom. Your curiosity will open the doors of the Divine, as will your time and attention. Whatever you focus on does expand.
Be clear where you focus. Do your best to focus on love, beauty, and kindness. As you are a vessel for this in the best ways possible, you will change your world in the most beautiful ways. Learn to respond rather than react to this world. What if it just got better as you did your best to believe in a better self, a better world, and the possibility of greater harmony?
We are the ones who create our world. It is up to us to be the change we want. We are in times of great change that look chaotic, messy, and too often far beyond our control. At times we will feel defeated, sad, and exhausted from the messiness of the human world.
Do your best to take care of yourself and your world. Do what you can do in your body, your mind, and your emotions. Do your best to be kind to those you meet at the grocery store, in your family, and in your world for friends. Do your best to love in the microcosm of your Universe. What you think, what you say, and how you act creates.
This is how you make a difference. What you give will come back to you. What you give will bless another if it is loving. Be the love you wish to experience.
If you are a writer or an artist, let your writing and your art reflect this. If you are a chef, create your food with love and give that. If you are a gardener, the beauty you create blesses others as yourself. If you are a bus driver, how you greet people makes a difference in their day. If you are a world leader, as you act and speak to be good for all, the greater harmony you bring within and all around you.
You matter, no matter your role in this world. Use your life in a way that restores love and pleasure and it will be the biggest blessing you can imagine, and more than you can imagine.
The Luminous One comes to bathe us in the light, bringing illumination to our spiritual and our physical selves, assisting us in vibing up! She reminds us it is time to move more greatly into the light through our intentions, riding the waves of high frequency light codes coming into our world through the astronomical alignments and spiritual cycles that are here now.
We are moving into a new cycle and a new age, bringing the light of illumination to our souls, that we may embody this light on earth in our human journey. Look upon the Luminous One for assistance in raising your light quotient. Catch the joy, the harmony, and the song of the light singing from this one unto you!
The Luminous One was called in to bring balance between the male and female, the yin and the yang, the human and the spiritual. I say 'she', but must say too this is the ultimate embodiment of male and female, truly not one or the other, though possibly more feminine in many ways. This radiant solar light is all heart and soul, bringing you what you may need to open your heart in greater ways than before.
Bathe in these energies by open eyed meditation upon the Luminous One to receive the energies of enlightenment and the alignment with the galactic center that is now activating our next spiritual evolution into greater light. The Luminous One carries the light codes to purify the lower vibrations through the energy of fire and light, to open the sight of your heart and soul, and to awaken your third eye that you may see more clearly from the soul's perspective.
This activation is also of your soul codes, your galactic multi-dimensional awareness that transcends your earthly linear perspective. Imagine if you can, that you are much bigger as a soul than you are as your human personality. You are HUGE. You are LIGHT, and you are consciousness. Receive the joyous, light from the Luminous One and catch the remembering of your sacred soul essence.
The Luminous One's third-eye is a portal to your inner knowing, to the Akasha, and to the Great Mystery of Creation. Gaze upon this portal to travel deeper within to know. The same is true of the throat chakra 'eye' symbol. It is also a doorway within, to the many dimensions of your very soul essence. Travel through this door to discover your ability to fly through the dimensions, to your power and ability to express these higher consciousness waves of energy. Each time you sit with this image and gaze upon it, you will move more deeply into how you work with the power of light within, and all around.
The Luminous One reminds you that you are a beautiful being of Light, and that you are here to flow this light through you into your world. You are a blessing. It is time to embrace and beholden this within yourself, that you may channel it into your life. Use your intention to flow this light and joy into every aspect of your life, and you will continue to fill up into higher states of joy and consciousness.
AMABIE, is a Water Spirit, Mermaid, who came in through my' Live Channeled Painting to Heal session on April 6, 2020, in response to healing as Humanity faces the pandemic and COVID-19.
This water spirit Amabie, is a legendary Japanese mermaid with 3 less, who is known to emerge from the sea to bring abundant harvest, as well as to help protect from illness due to epidemic.
This video brings teachings, and healing energies, from Amabie to assist us all in cleaning away the energy that makes us sick... both physically and spiritually. As I painted Amabie, I could feel her joyful nature, and wild woman spirit. She is very good at clearing fear, and bringing one back to the heart of truth and love. She helps to clean away what separates us from love, from harmony, and from beauty. She reminds us that true beauty lies within us, and that it is time to see that within all life."
Enjoy this live, channeled painting. Connect to the energy of this spirit Amabie, and her super powers to support you now, to bring you into love and to clean fear. Amabie, is the epitome of a helping spirit and shamanic ally. She invites you to call her into your life, to clean away that which makes you sick, and that which makes the world sick. Sit with her image and call her now. Thank her for her gifts and capacity to clean dense, fearful energy. Your gratitude is an offering. It is always important to thank our helping spirits, as that is what feeds their heart spaces. It is the reciprocity we all need to participate in, giving thanks, and giving love. May this bless you, inspire you, and encourage you to know you are not alone, that you have many angels, guides and spirit helpers. Call to them today to have them help you, to lift you up, and to support you in being the joyful, loving being that you already are.
Here's her image after this session. At this moment I am still working on her, as she continues to speak to me for bringing in energy for love, acceptance, transformation, and beauty. Use Amabie's image to inspire your heart opening, to stay in peace, and to know that you are safe and protected. Call to her now to lift you up. I'll add updated images once she is complete.
With love and many blessings, Katherine Skaggs
Ra-Mona, Pleiadian Star Mother of Light and Sound Healing brings healing to each of us as we traverse chaotic times, navigating fear emerging from our base instinctual centers. She brings compassion, unconditional love and acceptance. She encourages us to look deep into her eyes to awaken our own light and knowing, to awaken our hearts and our abilities to “see” beyond the fear, to transform into more loving and connected beings.
Take time to sit and gaze into her eyes. Gaze upon her as an open eyed meditation. Be bathed in her compassion and unconditional love and acceptance. Let her take you on a ride to the spaces of infinite soul on a grand adventure of discovery and wonderment. What does she whisper to your heart? How does she inspire and illuminate your preciousness?
Her name Mona, or Madre Mona came to me during the live painting session. Yet, I knew there was more. As I sat with her she told me it was Mona, and her full name was Ra-Mona. This brings the vibrations of Mona to us, which means Desire, or Wish from the Arabic origins. This is PERFECT, as her healing she offers us to that of moving to our heart spaces to our true heart desires and wishes. As we connect with our soul’s true desires through the heart, we will connect to the vibrations that illuminate us individually and collectively. Our heart knows the way! It is the place of the Light and Sound that she offers in her unconditional love and compassion.
Ra is the name of the Ancient Egyptian God who is the Sun, the solar influence that gives life, that lights up the world. No mistake she told me her full name is Ra-Mona… bringing both the Divine Masculine and Divine Feminine influences of Light and Illumination with Desire and Wish. Ra-Mona offers us the light of the Divine to illuminate our hearts, to illuminate our true soul desires and to assist in bringing them to earth through our own experience as human.
May her presence flood you with good vibes, that you may feel the shift upwards into the light of love. Many blessings and vast love upon you, Katherine
By Katherine Skaggs,
Visionary Artist of the Mythical Goddess Tarot
For thousands of years, in ancient temples and every day homes, sacred art has been used to shift one’s focus upwards to the Divine, to bring healing, and to create sacred space. Priests, priestesses, shamans, medicine men and women all have invoked healing through the assistance of sacred art objects, images, written text and statuary. They understood how to use sacred imagery and word to create portals to the Divine, accessing the magic and healing vibrations.
Great artists through the past 100s of years were not only trained as artists, but were also trained in mystery schools, where they understood sacred geometry, and the power of art to open energy portals, as well as to convey high frequency light to the masses. Michelangelo and Leonardo Divinci were such mystic artists.
These artist mystic traditions continue in our current day, where the artists are the messengers to awaken the soul. If you have ever found some visionary, spiritual art calling you, you must know it spoke deeply to your being, and not just your eyes.
I has such an experience when I saw the art of Alex Grey, Susan Sedon Boulet and Meinrad Craighead in the early 90s. I owned a metaphysical store, had been training in a mystery school for 4 years, and had also been an artist since I could pick up a pencil. When I chose their art books and calendars to sell in my store, I became very much aware that something was calling me. I felt deeply that perhaps I too was supposed to do something visionary or spiritual with my art. Over the following 10 years, it became clear to me what that union was. It ultimately directed my path in life as a mystic, visionary artist myself, finding my way as channel of the Divine, and messenger to the soul through my art.
Along the way I would say I learned many symbol systems and the power of sacred imagery, yet that is not completely true. It is more like I “remembered” how to bring in sacred imagery, not through my eyes, but through my soul, as a channel. The journey first was to heal my own soul self. Getting still and asking for guidance married with the act of making art was the beginning of the Divine coming through me in more mystical and expansive ways. Each experience of contact with a Divine Being, such as Mother Mary, or White Eagle, or Serapis Bey, or another angel or guide who revealed themselves, was an experience of opening a portal to high frequency light waves that heal, that awaken and that transcend a 2-D piece of art. Once created in the original art, it continues to open sacred spaces, transmitting light codes of love and guidance, even in small reproductions such as an altar card or small print.
When art is created at a soul level, with intention, symbol and meaning, it has the capacity to open doorways to the Divine. It brings vibrational healing through its holographic and physical presence. It calls the soul to recall more of their Divinity through an activation of the akasha energy field, and ultimately into the personality. It breaks the mind and the heart open to love and awareness.
We all can’t have great pieces of art in our homes or on our altars. Yet today, we have the magic of reproduction, offering the opportunity of owning beautiful artwork in more affordable versions that we can hang in our homes and place into our sacred spaces.
What determines Sacred Art?
Not all art falls into the category of visionary sacred art. Is the art created in love? Is it high vibrational? Does it convey messages of the divine without religious constraints, rules and judgements? Is it beautiful? Does it make you smile, feel more love, or curiosity of the invisible realm of Spirit?
I have found that the artists engaged in conveying Divine messages through their art, bring healing to others. An astrologer 30 years ago told me it would be the artisans in the New Age who would be the true Healers. For these would be the conduits dancing with the Divine, bringing expression of it's high frequency energies to Earth via inspired visual art, movies, dance, song, music, etc.
Sacred Art and Altar Spaces
Creating beauty in your home and sanctuary spaces brings peace, calm, vision, hope and healing. The color, pattern, geometries, symbols, Divine Beings and vibration create a focused energy, both physically and spiritually. The feel good beauty of sacred art immediately begins to shift any space. When the high vibrations come into your space, your attention is moved to a higher awareness in your conscious mind, as well as on a subconscious or soul level.
Your aura, or quantum field begins to vibrate upwards, as well as the space where the altar sits. Through prayer and meditation at your altar with your sacred imagery and objects, you begin deepening your spiritual energies and awarenesses. This is the journey of cultivating greater peace, beauty and grace, where you are less and less apt to fall into the lower energies of judgment and separation.
These beautiful images are spiritual tools that work, even when you aren’t consciously doing anything. They hold space for you, whether you can or can’t.
The Call to Share Sacred Art as Altar Cards
Many years ago, when I began to channel Divine Beings through my art (Mother Mary, Buddha, Jesus, Archangel Michael and other angels to name a few), I became aware that I needed to share the images on a larger scale, and not just sell one painting at a time. The guidance was most strong when I was awakened one night by Mother Mary, and I had to get up to paint her. This particular experience was one of receiving a transmission of unconditional love that came into the art. At this time it was clear the importance of sharing the imagery as a way to bring light to awaken others heart and souls through compassion and love.
Soon after the images were made into small 5x7” cards, with a message on the back, to inspire and to uplift. (See all altar cards here.)
Create Altar Spaces for Inspiration and Healing
When in need of making one’s life for sacred, for healing and for being lifted up, it is a great idea of set aside a small space in your home for an altar. Altars are physical places where you focus your attention to prayer, meditation, worship, and calling forth your Divine Guides and Helpers. The space doesn’t have to be big, yet it might be.
Personal altars are a great way to stay connected to the sacredness of all life, especially yours! They become containers that hold your prayers, intentions and desires in the most sacred ways. They help ground the higher energies of the Divine into the physical world.
Creating and working with an altar is as essential to a mystic, shaman or priestess, as brushing one’s teeth is to good oral health.
To make your own personal altar, it is a great idea to keep out of the attention of others. Choose a private space where you can put down an altar cloth, or something beautiful as the base to hold your items and prayers. A candle is often added to represent the light, fire and illumination. If you would like to include all the elemental energies, place some item representing the Earth, Water and Air on the altar. Some dirt from a sacred or special place, water you have blessed or from a sacred well, and a feather or something clearly representing the air. Add fresh flowers to bring in beauty, and to open a portal to the Divine. (Angels and Ascended Masters LOVE the color, beauty and fragrance of flowers!)
Add Divine Art Altar Cards to focus bringing in the guidance of any specific guides, angels, or ascended masters you would love to invoke through your altar. With time, you will become more and more clear when they are present, and that you have clear communication anytime you desire it or need it. The more you work with their imagery and essence, the more sensitive you are to their vibration energy and how it reaches you.
Other Places for Altar Cards
Altar cards are also great for your desk at work, to carry in your car or in your purse, hung near your bed, on on your bathroom mirror. They create space wherever they are! If you need a reminder of the Divine and want inspiration, incorporate this sacred imagery where you want to bring their energy and inspiration.
Choose Your Altar Cards and Sacred Imagery
There are many images of Sacred Ones you may incorporate, who will absolutely visit you as you begin to say “hello” by honoring them through your focused attention, gratitude and physical presence through sacred art.
To connect, what is your need for guidance, your hope or your intention?
Hold your intention, prayer, need or desire strong in your heart and mind when asking who to connect to. Cultivate reflection and stillness. Ask for your spirit helpers to come to you in any way you can recognize their energy.
Then open to the imagery you find at a local metaphysical store card or calendar section, or art books, or online sacred art. Ask for the image and the presence of the Divine Helper to be revealed. Synchronicity will unfold and you will be directed to the energy of your helper. It may come in song, art, written word, statuary, movie references, etc. Your Divine Helper may well be a Marvel character, or an angel, ascended master, goddess or an animal. Don’t be surprised!
Notice who are you drawn to by image. If you don’t have a specific idea or knowledge of who you would like to put on your altar, peruse the images to see who attracts you. Move beyond your intellect to your intuitive senses. The image will call you. The message will follow.
Here are a few of the Divine Helpers you might want to check out: Archangel Michael for protection and guidance; Mother Mary for unconditional love; Kuan Yin for compassion; Lakshmi for abundance; Jesus for forgiveness, love and healing; Buddha for compassion and peace; White Eagle for awakening your DNA and connection to guidance from all the ascended masters, and so on and so forth. There are an infinite number of Ascended Masters, Goddesses and Illuminated Ones to work with. They may or may not be familiar. So trust who you are drawn to in the moment you choose.
(See all Katherine Skaggs altar cards here.)
How to Work with the Sacred Ones through work with the Altar Cards
Once you have chosen your altar cards, now what?
Enjoy their beauty!
Say “hello” and “thank you”. Be specific if you can, and name the gifts and powers of that being, honoring their mastery and benevolence. Thank the Divine Being for being present to you, and assisting you in whatever manner he or she is showing up for you. Ask them to lift you up, into their awakened vibrations, that you too might align with their blessings.
Sit with the Divine Being via your altar card and gaze softly upon it. Feel into its energy. As you quiet your mind, and still your body, you will connect deeply through the image.
Journal with the essence of the Divine One, reflecting, asking questions, feeling into the responses, opening your intuition and knowing.
Invoke through prayer and ritual. Sing praise of gratitude and blessings.
As you sit with the sacred imagery of your Divine Beings of Light, you will know what to do. Trust your intuition and heart spaces. You may find yourself crying tears of joy, or laughing out loud. These beings are alive and well and are excited to meet you in this way.
Artist Author Katherine Skaggs
Visionary Artist of the Mythical Goddess Tarot
Katherine Skaggs is an intuitive channel, visionary artist, painter of souls, author, shamanic practitioner and teacher. She is the artist of the Mythical Goddess Tarot, as well as a series of Altar Cards born of the Mythical Goddess Tarot, Ascended Masters, Angels, and other Divine Beings of Light. Each image is channeled and created as a portal, for your own direct experience of Light and Love, and the wisdom of these benevolent Light Beings. Katherine is dedicated to bringing in light, love and wisdom to awaken each soul through love.
Live Painting with Katherine Skaggs for Reconnecting with the Sacredness in All Life for Good of the Whole 40-day event, Live Love
Life is truly a sacred ceremony, where we are all connected to the Divine One. We are each sacred. Our animals are sacred. The Earth is sacred. The Cosmos is sacred. All beings are an emanation of the Divine and now is the time to wake up to the beauty and joy life offers each of us.
This painting is an activation of light codes and energies to support the evolution of the human species in remembering Who We Are, as expressions, sparks and children of the Divine. We are amazing beings. We discover this through release of anger, hatred and separation. There is no "other".
As I began to connect to the intention of Reconnecting with the Sacredness in All Life, I began to see Grandmother Spider Woman, who shows us all is connected in the web of Life. Nothing is separate. We each emanate energies that create, adding to the web through our own expression. When we are in the vibration of Love, we grow the world and our connection to the Sacred. When we are in a vibration of hurt, anger, and suffering, we send forth the illusion of separation, polarity and suffering.
Refocusing on the Light, on the One, and on Sacredness, is the path of return to the Sacred Heart and the healing light of the vibration of pure, unconditional love.
This painting is a journey of expression of the Sacred and reconnecting to the support to open and receive, as well as to send out this energy.
White Buffalo Calf Woman also showed up as I began this painting. She is the Native American Sacred Mother who teaches us to purify our lower, illusory perceptions of lust, greed, anger, jealousy (etc.) so we may live life as a Sacred Ceremony. Her energy, and that of Grandmother Spider flow through this painting's energy, thought he specifics of their imagery is not here. They are some of the guides who are here to support us in waking up to the Sacred, along with the Hathors, the Pleiadians, the Lyrans, the Sirians, the Andromedans, the Ascended Masters, the Archangels and so many more. Mother's Earth's many elementals are also very excited in their love and support of all of us and our journey to remembering.
The message of Reconnecting with Self is one of illuminating the soul, of unconditional love, and of possibility.
Join Katherine Skaggs to watch her unfolding painting and channeled guidance to awaken your true love for Self, as well as ability to flow that into your mind, body and soul. Open to the energies of this art unfolding to activate all of you for greater love, joy and peace.
The final painting, "Radiant Soul" is a reflection of the soul's beautiful radiance, light and possibility. She is the potentiation that comes from the connection to the Sacred Heart, the Sacred Self, and what it is to live a Sacred Life. All is interconnected and well in the world of the Radiant Soul.
She is a reminder that as we connect to our Source, our Light and Illumination, we illuminate the world. There is no efforting. There is only connection to the source that lives within each of us. Be encouraged to Shine YOUR Light, authentically, kindly, lovingly, joyfully, and notice the response in the world. Notice your own vibrant energy shift.
Live in curiosity of potential. What is it like for it to just get better, more loving, more abundant, more joyful? What if all moved to this higher possibility as I leaned into that within myself?
Guardians, Angels, Guides and other spirit helpers are all around us. There are personal guides and helpers, as well as larger divine beings of light such as archangels and ascended masters, as well as other planetary ascension helpers such as the Hathors who are here to evolve. They are higher dimensional, higher frequency beings which makes it difficult for our 3D eyes and senses to perceive if we are not tuned in to our spiritual awareness. Yet, they are always doing their best to communicate, in hopes of a breakthrough in our perception.
In the early 90s I became aware of several of my main guides as I explored using my intuitive vision as an artist. "Guardians" came onto canvas, as well as into my head and heart. The painting was not just "visionary" but clearly multi-sensory and multi-dimensional. It became clear my guides were coming into form to not only greet me, but to get my attention and let me know I was not alone. I was never alone, and they always were there for me. They had my back.
Now many moons later, many paintings later, and a multitude of mystical experiences later I have come to know my helpers are always there, doing their best to not only be of service and support me in this life, but to guide me into greater levels of love and joy and higher consciousness. I hear them, feel them, see them with my inner senses, perceive them. It seems easy now, to know, trust and experience direct guidance not only from my guides, angels, totem animals, ancestors (the ones who have walked before and are on the other side), but also multi-dimensional beings I might say are alien or other planetary consciousness who desire to assist. And it is easy to tap into to to so for others in Spirit Guide Paintings, Shamanic Healing Sessions and Intuitive readings.
It wasn't always easy, and it wasn't always something I believed I was capable of. In the late 80s though, I began metaphysical training and began to dive into the invisible spiritual realm with practices that assisted me in connected to the unseen world. I didn't think I was capable or gifted. Yet, as I learned to still my mind, I was began to access the unseen worlds where our higher dimensional guardians are awaiting our connection.
Cool thing is, you can connect too!
The best way to get to know your guardians and helpers from the invisible realms is to say "hello!" from the deepest levels of your heart. Be curious. Be kind. Be upfront and let them know you want to make contact. Any ally, guardian, angel, fairy, ancestor, ascended master and helper really like it when you will introduce yourself, say hello and let the know you want to connect. You don't have to know their names or who they are to begin.
Thank your guides for being part of your life. Honor them and their powers, and gifts. It can be a general conversation as you begin, i.e., "Dear Guides and Guardians, thank you for helping me through my life. You are powerful and wise. I appreciate how you have nudged me in the right directions when I could listen and take guidance, and for your patience and perseverance when I was unaware. I appreciate your love and commitment to me.
Make a heart and soul offering, through clarity of intention and heart's desire. Offer them your time, your stillness, your willingness to meet and connect. Set an altar to hold a physical place where you honor them, honor their gifts (even if you are learning what that might be), where you give them your attention. Leave flowers, burn incense, light a candle, write prayers. Leave candy and gifts that are of the heart.
Give your guides direction and requests for contact. Ask them to make it clear! "Leave a penny or coin on the ground for you to know they are with you." Ask for the parking spot when going to the store. Ask for protection. Ask them to give you clarity of guidance for a particular subject in your life.
Once you begin to make requests of your guides, always be generous in gratitude and offerings in return. As in any relationship, it is a reciprocal situation. Bless your guides as you ask them to bless you.
The more attention you give to your guides and helpers from the invisible world, the more energy will collect and expand for you to experience their reciprocity and communication back to you. Be open to how they will communicate. Become childlike in your nature, curious and questioning. This is a key to noticing their various ways in contacting you and communicating. What's it like to "imagine" their conversation? What is their demeanor? Their energy? Are they funny, stern, wise, simple, kind, animal, angel, other dimensional? Once you begin the path of curiosity, they will reveal themselves through frequency that you will identify by one or several of your senses.
To know your guides and helpers requires developing stillness and observation. This is required to engage any of your extra sensory senses. Sit still in nature and observe in deep quietude. Sit still and meditate. Engage concentration exercises to hone your skillsets. Reflect. Journal. Ask, listen, reflect.
Your guides are very happy you are reading this article right now. Whatever urged you to read this, know that very specifically YOUR guides are urging you to go deeper on the path, and this is one of the steps, or breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are the synchronicities or coincidences that get your attention. It is when you know who is calling when the phone rings. Or you were just thinking of a person and you run into them at the store. It is the sign on the back of the car in front of you, that sends a message you can't ignore. It is the clock that says 11:11 or 12:12 or 4:44 each time you look at it. There are numerous sign posts and synchronicities along the way.
If you are curious and want to try some of these things, get a journal and begin to write down synchronicities that begin to come once you have begun to say hello, to be still, to ask for their support, or at least their appearance.
Dedicate your journal to the communication between you and your guides. Write in it to communicate what is on your heart and mind. Follow the steps above. As you write, do so as you are communicating directly to each of your beloved helpers. It doesn't matter if you don't know who they are. They will begin to answer and speak to you in a manner through your journaling that is different than your voice, and is not in the first person "I". Instead you will begin to hear or sense the conversation being direct to you, rather from you. Write it as you experience this, with answers and guidance coming you may never have thought of, or accepted before.
Record synchroniciites, such as when you look at the clock and see repeating numbers or triple digits. Write down when you have asked for help, and you get a call from a dear friend asking how you are. Your guides have reached through the energy web to activate your ground crew.
Having a log gives attention to your journey of awakening to communication with your guides. It also slows you down so you can be aware. Admitting what you sense and experience moves you from believing to knowing. You must admit your experiences and claim them to build upon your abilities of perception. It strengthens the link with you and your guides as it would any relationship where you actively work on communication, giving and receiving.
We are in an ever evolving spiritual journey. This 3D reality of human life is more and more chaotic, as we are in times many refer to as the Kali Yuga. It is a dark and challenging time, with a purpose that propels many of us forward in our own spiritual awakening. Our guide teams and helpers have always has a great role at assisting us through this dimensions. And I find we need them now more than ever to navigate the dense human reality, and to remember we are timeless souls, not bound by the form of a body. Our guides are some of our best helpers to assist us in remembering who we truly are, and how to align ourselves with a higher reality and experience.
This is a live painting with Katherine Skaggs Oct. 2nd, 2017 in response to the mass shooting in Las Vegas. It is intended to bring healing through clarity of intention and the intuitive painting process as a healing agent. Katherine Skaggs is a shamanic healing artist, bringing heart and soul energy and imagery to you to shift from suffering and trauma to a higher frequency of heart and unconditional love.
The artwork that unfolds here is a Celestial Earth Mama, bringing holiness and sacredness to our attention, to light us up and refocus us to possibility and potentiation.
Katherine Skaggs also uses prayer, intention and shamanic healing techniques including sacred tobacco, to clear and to bring in light.
