Comment and introduce yourself if you want to be added.

Name: Moonvoice aka Ravenari aka Rav aka Pia aka 'P'
Age: 27
Location: Perth, Western Australia
In Summary: I'm a crazy pansexual female shamanist artist INTJ with PTSD.
Average posts day: 1-3 times a day (sometimes more, sometimes less). Much goes under F-lock and then filters on top of that. Not very many people on my Flist see everything I post.
Filters: Wildspeak (shamanism), PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), C-PTSD, Life.

( more under the cut! Like what to expect if you friend me, how much I comment, and more self-centred stuff which is pretty crucial to having a livejournal. *g* )

1. If you wish to purchase anything, PLEASE EMAIL ME at ophelias.diary@gmail.com, rather than leaving comments here. I find emails much easier to keep track of.

2. All pictures state their prices for signed originals. This pricing includes registered or insured postage and all pieces are securely packed. Buying more than once piece at once results in a reduction of the overall price. I will of course post to other countries with other currencies (yay for Paypal), just email me for a quote. :)

3. All links take you to the image in question.

4. This list will be regularly updated. Any questions, feel free to comment. :)

5. As of February 17, 2009, this is the current price list.

( Master List )

~ ON HOLD or Not for sale ~

Olm - Not for sale
Thylacoleo - Not for sale
Wolverine - Not for sale

OTHER ARTWORK FOR SALE

Raven of Air - Available - ($100 USD)
Raven of Water - Available - ($100 USD)
Raven of Fire - Available - ($100 USD)

I finally have a picture of this that I like! So I've updated the DeviantArt file, and prints are now available.

I have mad pastel skillz, baby.

Also, I'm finally redoing my website for my art completely. I'm taking off almost all of the artwork (that's what DeviantArt is for), and only putting up selected pieces, and trying to keep it to pieces that are only available for sale. The only frustrating thing is that I destroyed almost all of my Wandsuna artwork.

Cry.





( Because all pelicans deserve to be firebirds, flying over the world at night )

But most importantly, the new dinosaurs have been affectionately named after old-school poets and Waltzing Matilda.

Yup. That's us. Calling a titanosaur 'Matilda.'

Baba Yaga

Baba Yaga has been reduced to a folklore figure, but sources strongly suggest that she was originally worshipped as a goddess; and that is certainly how I see her.

Those who have heard of Baba Yaga, know of her often as the antagonist in the story of 'Baba Yaga and Vasilissa the Brave.' They know of her flying around in a mortar, living in a home that spins on chicken legs (or a single leg, depending on the country). It is lesser known that she is associated heavily with animals like the pelican and the snake. As well as cats, geese and black hounds.

Not an easy goddess to work with by a long shot, and never one I would have consciously chosen to work with. But the truths she shows me, while they always make me feel older, enrich my life regardless.

Tolere, Vavale.

And sorry about the quality of the picture, I can't scan pieces this large, and the flash mangled some of the colouring. I'm hoping to get a better quality picture in better lighting tomorrow or the next day. :)





( Under the cut for details. )

The awesome artist and bewylderbeast is seeking to help the Scottish Badgers through the sale of her artwork. I'll gank a section of her wordpress post about it here:

"Scottish Badgers work to preserve Scotland’s badgers, their setts and their habitats, but their valuable work is under threat due to shortages in funding.

To help raise some funds, I am hoping to sell a load of my artwork.

From Wednesday 1st July to Wednesday 8th July, you can make me an offer for any piece of my work that is for sale. Once postage costs and paypal fees have been taken off your payment, the rest of what you give will be donated to Scottish Badgers."

Click here for the awesome artwork officially for sale, and here for the artwork that *may* be for sale or contact her directly at emma@urbanimal.co.uk

And pass it around. :)

Might I add that this is an awesome offer. bewylderbeast does amazing artwork (I own two pieces), and you are buying a piece from someone who, like myself, works very hard to ensure a connection to the animal energy / animal she is working with. It's very cool stuff. Please check it out.

As usual, full view for details.

Chastity and Kitten

Part of my 'DDNOS / DID' series (dissociative disorder not otherwise specified / dissociative identity disorder, for those curious). I am so happy with how the colouring for this one turned out. Especially as the yellow/orange/green spectrum isn't one I wander into very often.





( A more detailed picture under the cut. )

Ganked from jamethiel_bane

Wallabies hopping into poppy patches and getting high. Whoops! Crop circles of stoned happy-hoppiness and everything!

In neo-shamanism, it has been bandied out - mistakenly - that a shamanist must experience illness, sickness or even death in order to be a shamanist or shaman. This has been bred out of the fact that in some (but not all) Indigenous cultures, a shaman could occasionally be hall-marked by the shaman's sickness, which could be mental or physical in origin; or the shaman's death. The idea being that should a shaman walk so close to the lands of the dead (or indeed, within them), s/he would be better qualified to heal those who were sick or dying or dead.

It's a sound theory, it makes sense, it's certainly true that experiencing chronic illness for most of your life gives you the potential to have a better understanding of others who are experiencing the same thing. The thing is, it's not universal. One does not need to be sick, or dying, or to have died, or whatever, in order to be a shamanist.

It's ironic that I make this argument (or perhaps disclaimer), because in many ways I am the epitome of the 'wounded shamanist.' The person who has died, experienced major surgeries, mental illnesses, chronic illnesses both diagnosed and undiagnosed (in fact, I'm still waiting on a camera endoscopy for the latter), childhood rape and torture not by one person, but by more than one.

I've been through more than the average Westerner.

Did my illnesses lead me to shamanism? It's hard to say. Certainly I looked for spiritual succour in order to survive. I learnt very early on of the monstrous nature of humanity that it could unleash itself upon its own species in the matter of childhood rape and torture. And instinctively I found my peace and harmony within nature. Even as a very young child, I would spend time with animals and plants to escape what I knew of the people around me.

But that could have led me anywhere. It is possible to find spiritual succour in any religion. It is possible to love nature even in religions that do not obviously tout love of nature.

It is, however, certainly true that shamanism offered me many practical and useful tools to address my illnesses with peace, acceptance, and understanding. Breath-work, soul retrieval, soul extraction, journeying, listening to teachers and those who are healing themselves, helping others to heal, aligning myself with helpful spirits and so on. That through my practices of shamanism, and my embracing of what I have been taught by the spirits around me, I have learnt to love myself more, and not less, because of these illnesses.

And it is also true that because of them, I think I am able to offer certain insights that others who have not been through them, cannot. I can never undo the crimes that were inflicted upon me, but I can learn from them, take responsibility for my healing, and share what I have learned with others. While I seek health and wellness, I also see how my wounds - both those visible and those beneath the surface - have become a tool in my shamanism to work great healings on behalf of myself, and others.

These ramblings today are brought to you by my illnesses, for alongside my chronic illnesses, my mental disorders, the fact that I need a tooth removed, I also seem to be struck down with food poisoning. And it got me thinking that in the past I used to vilify myself when I was sick. I hated that I couldn't make offerings to the spirits, drum or even journey properly. I hated how out of touch I felt. I even thought, years ago, that it made me a 'bad shamanist' to be sick.

And nowadays it's the opposite. I recognise illness for what it is - a transient state that has the potential to teach me great things on the path to wellness - and accept that illness, when approached from certain mindsets, can provide their own spiritual truths and knowledges. So now I rest easily without self-vilification, because it is through taking care of myself, taking care of my body, and being gentle with myself in ways that other people in my life were not; that I am more spiritual, than if I were to force myself to drum or make offerings.

And it is through my illnesses that I have come to understand the nature of wellness, why it is desirable to achieve, and why we walk the paths to it that we do.

The Rose Red Phoenix Pheasant, is known for it's distinctive white and red plumage, which is bright and distinctive all year round. It lives in the small, and as-yet-unnamed islands off the country of Armon, in cold, semi-alpine climates.

It is closely related to peacock pheasants, with the singular distinction that it prefers to lay its eggs in constructed nests decorated with a profusion red, yellow and orange blossoms (as well as red puchako berries, that form the bulk of its diet). When explorers first found this bird, it felt the eggs looked as though they were being raised within a fireplace, and labelled the bird 'phoenix pheasant.'

Phoenix pheasants in general are desired for their plumage, which is used in millinery. Because this bird is rare and hard to find, it is at high risk of poaching and is considered an Endangered bird.

( More pictures under the cut. )

A study of 50,000 people via Tohoku University in Japan, shows that obese and overweight people are likely to live longer than those of different physiques.

(Although it also shows that we cost more in medical expenses. Lol).

Nerthus




A goddess who is often forgotten, and who shouldn't be. Who is perhaps best known for representing valour, holiness and fertility. Shown veiled or masked. And also represented by boars, birch forests, swamps and wetlands among other things.

I'm not actually a practitioner of Northern traditions, but I do know a lot of people who are, and some of them are champs are absolute champs. :)

This is the cover art for a devotional being written by nicanthiel, for the goddess Nerthus. The book will be titled Boar, Birch and Bog: Prayers to Nerthus, from Gullinbursti Press.

Nicanthiel's website, and information on the book, can be found here.

American Black Bear as Totem

The American black bear is a common bear species (with many subspecies) found throughout North America and well-adapted to the landscapes found throughout. They are powerful animals, able to stand on two legs, and run at fast speeds when necessary. American black bears - like most bears - are omnivores, changing their diet depending on seasonal availability. They are known to compete with wolverines, cougars and brown bears for kills / food.





American black bear as totem represents: (not exhaustive)

Sniffing out the truth, containing great power, being a mover and shaker, needing long breaks from people and projects, taking time-out, sabbaticals, climbing to the top, being misunderstood, having your true nature underestimated or overlooked, meditation, highs and lows.

Original AVAILABLE - $70 USD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint

Gouldian Finch as Totem

Despite being popular as a cage finch, the gouldian finch is an endangered bird, with less than approximately 2,500 mature birds left in the wild. There are many domestic colour variations in captivity, but in the wild the very colourful gouldian finch appears with a black face, a less common red face, and a rare yellow face. They live on grass seeds, and research shows they never consume insects. Females control the sex of their offspring through mate choice, and offspring have distinctively coloured gapes to help guide the parents into their mouths. Their bright colouring is not a benefit in the wild, where they are easily located and caught by predators.





Gouldian finch as a totem animal represents: (not exhaustive).

Colour therapy, colour wisdom, using colour to connect with the world and others, beauty but not gaudy, painting and artistry, requiring times of hollowness or emptiness, a strong connection to fire, dependence on fire, a need to control one’s environment, being trapped or exploited, watch out for people using you because of your appearance or skills, small things nourish you.

Original AVAILABLE - $75 USD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint

Brolga as Totem

The brolga is a social crane found in Australia, perhaps most commonly known for its showy, athletic courtship dances, which involve metre high jumps, the flinging and catching of grass, bowing and calling. The brolga is a tall crane, and often confused with the sarus crane. As a social animal, the brolga tends to gather as smaller family groups, into one large 'flock.' However, the family groups move and interact separately to the greater group.





Brolga as a totem animal represents: (this list is not exhaustive)

Beautiful dancer. Grace. Indigenous wisdom. Folklore. Stories within the land. Storytelling. Australian magic. Courtship. Relationships. Flirting. New beginnings. Joyfulness. Joy in movement. A good party. Spiritual dancing. Loving partnership.

You can read the full file here: http://www.wildspeak.com/vilturj/totems/wbrolga.html

Original AVAILABLE - $75 USD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint

When I first started out, as a pagan, I was in highschool and I was one of those kids who did tarot readings for her friends, made her own Book of Shadows, was very interested in all kinds of energy work and healing (including Reiki) and basically starting to become obsessed with animal symbolism and so on. By the time I was 17, I was in an Alexandrian Wiccan coven. I thought I was dedicated. I meditated every day, I ran a meditation group for friends, I did rituals and spells, I had my own huge altar, I burnt a circle of salt into the grass in the back garden (sorry Mum!) and so on...

So, on the outside, I was a dedicated young spiritual pagan. But there was a problem. A big problem. There was a huge divide between my spiritual work, and my real life. The person I was spiritually was more ethical than the person I was on a day to day basis. A lot of what I learnt in meditation, I didn't apply to my 'real life.' The animals I worked with taught and said interesting things, but I didn't really know how to bridge the gap. How did I take the problem solving skills of raven and apply them anywhere? I didn't. There was a big divide between what I did, who I was, the lives I was leading.

It wasn't until much later, when I split away from Wicca, and embraced shamanism and animism, that I started to see very clear ways that my spirituality could assist my 'real life.' And around that time I started realising that there's no point to a spirituality that doesn't assist your real life. And absolutely no point in any spirituality that lowers your quality of life. If you're in any spirituality or belief system, no matter WHAT it is, that lowers your quality of life; get out!!!

These days, I don't meditate every day. I don't have a great big altar (I have a few shrines). I have no circles of salt burnt into the grass behind our house (we have no grass, so...), and I don't run a meditation group. But it doesn't matter, because I live my spirituality. In my work as a spiritual artist. In my mental health and therapy where I now see a therapist who will actually bring up the totems I'm working with as a way to communicate assistance.

An excellent example of this unification was recently I experienced a great deal of anger over a serious betrayal. I am very dysfunctional when it comes to anger, I'll be the first to admit it. I rarely feel it, let along anger that is so strong that I shake from it, and feel my heart pounding and my face heat up... I had no idea what to do. So I reached out to my perevrjni, my spirit helpers, and I said 'what do I do? Help me.'

One of my spirit helpers, a grumpy old man who is partial to wolverines, came forward around me and brought another one of my spirit helpers, a water-horse (a horse that lives in the sea, with a mane and tail of fire) with him. He took a jar and said 'pour your anger into this jar.' I did, and it filled up quickly. He grabbed another jar, and said 'pour your anger into this jar.' And so we went, on and on, pouring out white, and then red, and then blue and purple and green shades of anger, until my water-horse was covered in clinking jars of anger that shone with energy. I was grounded and more calm, and I had a stockpile of energy to use for later.

In 'real life' it gave me the ability to respond to the person who had betrayed me from a rational and honest place. I stood up for myself, made healthy decisions for myself, and essentially got out of a very toxic situation with most of my soul intact and a gratefulness in my spirit helpers, and a proudness in myself for being able to manage serious anger in such a way for the first time in my life.

Those anger jars came in handy. I use them in energy work, to protect myself against being attacked by two spirits, and as offerings to other spirits (including a local crocodile god, who now has all my anger jars, and I have to wait again until I'm very angry to make some new ones). It wasn't a psychological technique I was using, taught to me by a therapist; but a spiritual one with psychological and real life implications. It was taught to me by a spirit helper named Aka Oslo, who lives on a house, on a rock that reaches out of a rough sea, that smells of salt and fur...who may or may not be a figment of my imagination. It doesn't matter if he is; because any figment of your imagination that teaches you spiritual and therapeutic tools that keep you safe and true to yourself, is a wonderful, helpful figment. Of course, I think he is real. :)

Not only that, but a couple of other people who heard this story are using anger jars themselves now. This is a technique that can be very helpful. It reached into other 'real lives,' because of its practical implications. It allows you to keep your anger, which means you're not 'getting rid of it' (don't get rid of your emotions, they're valuable!); but it also allows you to take a step back and see exactly what you have, what the energy looks like, and how beautiful it is. Anger might be overwhelming, but when it's shining out of many many jars, it's beautiful too. And colourful! And mostly, practical and helpful as well.

So how does your spirituality translate to your every day functioning? Do you have problems making connections between your spiritual practices and your 'mundane' life? When you work with animal totems, where are the real life results of that? When you walk or commune with the land, what do you take back to your workplace or your other environments. When you are in crisis, how does your spirituality assist you?

Orchid Mantis as Totem

The orchid mantis, or orchid praying mantis is found throughout Malaysian, Indonesian and Sumatran rainforests. They are coloured to resemble orchids (and their four walking legs are shaped like orchid petals), the most common being a pale white or pink in colour. The young nymphs appear like ants. The orchid mantis, like many mantids, will eat anything it can catch. However, orchid mantids have also been observed eating banana. Like many in the mantid family, it can be extremely vicious.





Orchid Mantis as a totem can represent: (Not an exhaustive list)

Rainforest wisdom, getting yourself into sticky situations, perfect timing, being a predator to get what you want, ruthlessness combined with great beauty, viciousness, the value of camouflage, self-defense, using stillness to your advantage, cultivating patience.

Original AVAILABLE - $75 USD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint

This is probably one of my favourites, but I'm biased as this is one of my ongoing animal guides. :)

Common Bronzewing as Totem

The common bronzewing, like its name, is perhaps the most common pigeon native to Australia. The common bronzewing bears some very cool iridescence along its wings. Despite being very common in many areas and habitats, it is not often seen, because it is an extremely cautious and wary bird by nature. They are always found close to water, and will sometimes band together to search for their food, which consists predominantly of seeds.





Common Bronzewing as a totem animal represents: (not an exhaustive list)

The value of silence, knowing when to speak, being able to settle down almost anywhere, being cautious, things are not what they seem, optical illusion, illusion, taking things seriously, taking your time, wariness.

18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint

Orca as Totem

A personal note: Orca is a shadow totem for me, or an animal I irrationally fear / dislike. I see their beauty, and I respect them very much, but none-the-less this picture was quite challenging to do. So I'm glad I did it!

The Orca, or 'killer whale' (a misnomer, since it is a dolphin first), is the largest member of the dolphin family. It is perhaps best known for its appearances in films like Free Willy, and among most people for its great intelligence, fierce and innovative hunting techniques, and distinctive black and white appearance. There are five different 'types' of killer whale, depending on where they live, how they hunt, and so on. Killer whales have distinctive language dialects per pod and region, and have been described to have their own cultures. Killer whales are apex predators, and some will even target larger whale species for food; killing them through suffocation.





Orca as a totem animal can represent: (not an exhaustive list)

Energy of change and changing, adaptability, clinical and detached intelligence, balancing ‘black and white,’ rejecting simple truths, polarity, dialect and language, being a predator to get what you want, socialising, needing others around you, wolf of the sea.

Original AVAILABLE - $75 USD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, allic and iridescent paint

Komodo Dragon as Totem

The Komodo dragon is the largest living species of lizard (growing to 2-3 metres). It is also quite venomous, and alongside the venom, carries a serious cocktail of harmful bacteria within its mouth. Komodo dragons tend to be apex predators in the environments that they live, and mostly survive on carrion; though they do hunt and eat pretty much anything they can catch (including children). They are one of the few vertebrates capable of 'virgin births' or producing offspring without the presence of a male; this is known as parthenogenesis.





Komodo Dragon as a totem represents: (not an exhaustive list)

Size matters, the completion and finishing of projects, taking nourishment from the dead, communing with the dead, fierceness, confidence and arrogance, poisoning others, being poisoned, ambush and attack, surviving on little, antagonising those you care about, creating life without the help of others

Original AVAILABLE - $80 USD
18.5 x 20.5cm (or 7.4 x 8 in)
illo's board, fineliner, aquarelle, pencil, metallic and iridescent paint