Gestare Art Collective

Ma Pose-13

'dea regeneratrix'

The 'dea regeneratrix' or the goddess of death and new life. Stiff and frozen pose, often this type of figurine is mostly found in graves to regenerate life. The forearms lie horizontally over the breast and the hands often touch the elbows, symbolizing the closed circle of life. Often the arms hang flat and still alongside the body. Mouth and eyes are closed.

Black still standing lady, eyes closed, no mouth, she no longer breathes. She is found in "Sanctuary of the Leopards' Catal Hoyuk Turkey (6000-5500 BC).

Nané - Dea Regeneratrix Ma Pose - August 12, 2016, 7 minutes

At Ingred's place that day on our brief retreat-like (and treat-like) meeting together - oh, how I crave that space right now, as I write this! My work is piling up with the new school year around the corner - how to have time for re-generation and spacious-ness

As I lay in the this pose on Ingrid's beautiful outside patio, with a clear blue sky view above me - I am releasing, dissolving into the elements - re-forming and taken back into deep earth - life makes good use of death - life which is continuous - death but a moment of time - enclosed and loved by life we leave and go on - cellular space opens - entropy - I am holding my legs stiffly, into a felt direction downwards as if rooted into the earth - I belong to the earth now - She does the work and I can let go - it is an amazing release, as I become the sky - holding my arms next to me helps to contain all - this pose honours what was and is no longer - letting go to the next round of birth-giving - that is death - going into the next round of birth - I am thinking of the Magdalene skull in her earth-crypt - the dark, moist earth, andsmell of cave - I sense this under-tone of cave-like contemplation, to be absorbed so completely

Barbara - Dea Regeneratrix Ma Pose - August 12, 2016, 7 minutes

I am with Nané, Medwyn and ingred on skype when this pose is done. They are together at ingred's in Vancouver and I am at my studio in Carbondale. I lay down on my studio floor and enter the pose with my arms folded right over left, the backs of my arm resting on the ground. My legs lay straight and together with my feet relaxed. My eyes and mouth are closed and my head is centered.

Laying in this death pose I am aware that fluids have been drained from my body. I hold myself stiff focusing on my third eye. I breathe with shallow breaths through my nostrils. Inanna and Christ come into my mind. Both dead for three days and three nights. I am now in a bed of flowers with women who have come to be with me. They sing and I understand the singing will restore my body fluids before my resurrection from this death space. The voices of the women enter my body replacing my body fluids through the soles of my feet. I feel the fluid and energy slowly traveling through my feet to my legs, torso, head and arms. Bells chime and it is time to arise.

I am aware that as a faculty member I am currently living the death of higher education as we know it in Illinois . Entering this pose while on campus in my studio heightens this awareness.

Barbara - August, 19, 2016, 7 minutes

Megan and I lay in the death pose on my living room floor in front of the window altar. I lay with arms crossed right over left with my hands holding my elbows. My legs are straight and stiff. My feet point toward the ceiling. I am supported by the ground.

I feel myself sink deep into the ground. I am aware of Megan laying alongside me. We are in an underground tomb with an opening portal to the above ground that is open to the sky. Laying with us are many other women. Priestesses from the past, present and future. I am filled with emotions as I become aware of all the women priestesses and leaders I have known who lay here with me. Gestare women, Carol Weaver, Deb Anthony, Marsha from S. Illinois.... My stepdaughters Vanessa and Leah and Zoe are also here. All women who have done and will do much needed priestessing work in the world. Each woman is at a different level of development but all are priestesses. We are in mutual restorative dormancy in this tomb but not dead.

Medwyn - Dea Regeneratrix Ma Pose - August 12, 2016, 7 minutes

This pose was taken during the afternoon of August 12 in Vancouver where Nané and I had joined Ingred in her home for a Gestare skype with Barbara.

I chose to take the pose on the horizontal and lay on a futon with my legs straight and my arms crossed over my ribs. The immediate awareness was how much tension there was in my body and how many layers of relaxation were needed. The initial comfort of the warm hug from my arms was interrupted by pain in my upper arms and back. Each release breath eased the pain and I became aware of a desire to slip away completely. Such a gift it would be to allow this death to complete its process in me leaving all behind. I noticed warmth in the palms of my hands and soles of my feet. These were the places for my rebirth, pressing themselves into my awareness, a renewed life heat energy, a life force emitting through me, making, re-creating self in a new form a new being

be-ginning
be-coming

The three days of the August full moon found me staying with friends on North Okanagan Lake where I was bathed with the light of the full moon each night as I laid in my tent. On leaving these friends I stopped at Fintry to walk the labyrinth there and ground myself following a sad farewell to one whose days on this earth are numbered.

Slow walking labyrinth tears flowing pathway pulling me in and down gradually grounding me into the presence of mystery and relief. In the centre sounding moved through me and into the dry pine scented air. Leaving the labyrinth I took the pose position standing beside one of the stately Ponderosa Pine trees at the lakeside my outlook in the direction of the shore where I had been staying.

Sensing my ground solid and clear, shoulders dropped, breath deepened as I was joined by a parade of souls walking into the Kiva a place I have visited many times during trance. Joyace was there enwrapped in the wings of loving beings moving her along her way honouring her with all the love she has held for all her life, returning love to her threefold and more. Behind me dancing souls in the labyrinth celebrated the arrival of one so dear and I am wit(h)ness, privileged to observe the beauty in this dying, the wonder of love’s release to be regenerated in new love.

Feeling so profoundly sad, blessed, honoured to be in this place, I walked slowly back through the pine woods carrying this blessing along on my journey home.

Nané - Dea Regeneratrix Ma Pose - August 12, 2016, 7 minutes

As I lay in the this pose on Ingrid's beautiful outside patio, with a clear bluesky view above me - I am releasing, dissolving into the elements - re-forming and taken back into deep earth - life makes good use of death - life which is continuous - death but a moment of time - enclosed and loved by life we leave and go on - cellular space opens - entropy - I am holding my legs stiffly, into a felt direction downwards as if rooted into the earth - I belong to the earth now - She does the work and I can let go - it is an amazing release, as I become the sky - holding my arms next to me helps to contain all - this pose honours what was and is no longer - letting go to the next round of birth-giving - that is death - going into the next round of birth - I am thinking of Magdalene skull in the earth-crypt - the dark, moist earth, smell of cave - I sense this under-tone of cave-like contemplation, to be absorbed so completely