The above picture is of a statue that was intended for the Goddess Hecate. I had seen it before when looking through statues and Goddess images. Hecate is not the form of my Goddess though.
When I got the urge to get a statue for the Goddess Hel, this was the image that popped in my mind. Two key elements were present, the snakes and the staff, in prominent ways. I shook my head because there were other elements that were not right though. So I took to the internet and started looking around.
The problem with every image intended for the Goddess Hel is the perception of half dead half alive, in physical form – literally half alive on one side and skelator on the other. This is not the form Hel takes for me anymore. As our relationship grew, Her image changed. Now She comes as a ghostly white gray skinned woman. What a body looks like right after the soul leaves but before the blueish hue starts to set in. Her eyes though are like fire and Her voice exudes that fire within. Giving an image of death on the surface and the fire of the soul within.
No, none of these images intended for Her would do, and She rejected all of them. The original image resurfaced again in my mind, and She whispered – “This.”
The Work Begins
When the statue arrived and I set its place on the altar Hel whispered again “Transform it.”
I sat there for awhile just looking at the statue. The first thing that I knew is that the little flaming skull on top of the staff had to go. Time to get the husband involved. He got to work and sawed the little head off.
Over the next several days I kept looking at it – waiting – contemplating – because we were obviously not done yet.
As I sat talking with another witchy friend one night I was staring at the pointy crown on the head of the statue. It did not belong and was not right. Then I noticed a crack in the middle one. As I chatted with my friend I started wiggling that middle horn and it popped right out. Yep, these were the next to go. I sat there, taking my time and being careful, plucking out all the horns on the head.
There is a necklace around the neck that bothered me because it was meant for Greek symbolism, but at the same time it would be harder to alter. Hel whispered again “It is also Wunjo and Gebo.” I have a special Bind Rune that is the combination of these two Runes that means harmony and love in partnership. I see the letter P and X – my husband saw R and X – but it doesn’t matter – it only matters what I see in it and what it means to me. This was my effigy, for me. Nope, the necklace would stay now.
Change through Paint
The statue sat there, and I stared once more knowing it was not finished.
I lit a candle and allowed my mind to wonder. What else was needed, what else needed to go? The answer wasn’t removal, it was adding to. The form was right now, but the image was not. As I sat there I saw it taking shape in my mind. To really turn it into Hel’s image required it to reflect Her – time to paint!
She has shown that Gold is important color to Her. It is the color She wears now when I see Her. It shows in the fire within Her eyes. It is the color of Her hair. Her skin was not this off-white, it was pale white and grays. It was not red flame at Her feet but blue – representing the hottest fire, the coldest ice, and the water between. Yes, transformation through color.
I worked the entire day. First the dress – gold with silver accents. Then the hair – blondes, light browns, and shimmered with gold. The staff brown, reflective of the wood. Then the snakes… I was originally going to leave them alone. I liked the shading in them – but Hel had another plan. So again I sat quietly and waited for the image to take shape.
One black and one white. Representation of Duality – and representation of color. The one wrapping around the staff was linked to the staff. In Seidr, and for Hel, the staff is a tool of traveling in spirit. The snake within it a guide as we travel. White for an artist represents the absence of color – empty – waiting to be filled. Yes, that snake would be white – because as we travel, that is our state. I travel for knowledge, for interaction, to learn – to be filled. The other would be black because it was facing outward – going outward into the physical world – acting upon the physical world. Black is the color that encompasses all color – the whole of me – all my lessons, all my transformations, all my power, everything I am right now.
It is Not What It Was
The original artist made this statue for Hecate. I altered and changed it to now represent Hel. Some will understand this, and obviously some will not. When I posted a picture of the finished work on my facebook page, the first response was trying to explain to me that the statue was Hecate and there was another beautiful one on Amazon for Hel. Did this person not read what was written along with the picture – or did she just not understand the transformation aspect?
Yes, the original statue was intended for Hecate but my altered version represents Hel – for me. There are times where we need to alter something, change what it is into what we need it to be. If you think about it, it is a core concept in magical and spiritual practice. I needed something specific, and Hel wanted something specific – I have learned long ago that there is reason behind the acts They put before us. This was no different. There was a deeper meaning and lesson behind the act of altering this statue. It wasn’t just for my effigy, it was a lesson of the soul – I am not going to get into this here, but I will in my next article tomorrow.
Follow Your Intuition
Just because something was made for one purpose, does not mean we can not alter it for another. Just because someone sees one thing – doesn’t mean that is what everyone sees. We can not be afraid to take chances, destroy and recreate, shift and alter, grow – transform – or transmutate. That is life – It is the journey – it is the magic – it is the power every one of us holds.
Get creative. Make what you need for you. Share it with others. Inspire new visions. Show different perspectives. Be all that you are and transmutate what you need to in order to do the work in front of you.
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