Introducing Pele | Andrea de Michaelis – Creating my own reality, one thought at a time

I’ve never been particularly drawn to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and the volcano. I’ve never studied the mythology and I’ve only recently looked her up, after it came to me to paint a version of her. I’ve been working on a series of paintings depicting archetypal women as a form of shamanic soul retrieval. It came to me during meditation that I wanted someone who would sit in the coals of the fire and burn up the dross. As gold is heated to burn away impurities so its essential character can be revealed, just so the intent of my soul retrieval project was to do the same with me. I saw someone sitting in the coals of a fire, with fire all around her, laughing. The image of molten lava came to me and a volcano appeared behind her. The name Pele came to me, so I began adding her to the series and researching to learn about her. I’ve learned that Pele’s fires and lava are what builds and rebuilds the island she sits on. Through volcanic activity, it is always being renewed. Just so, this creat-ive force comes into our lives to cleanse, transform and rebuild.

From billholsten.com

As I look at her now, I sense frog energy from her eyes. The frog as totem animal reminds us of the transient nature of our lives in any one body. A symbol of transition and metamorphosis, frog supports us in times of change. Ted Andrews in Animal Speak says, “Frogs have an ancient mythology about them. Being amphibians with links to the water and the land, they are often associated with the magic of both elements. This also links them to the lore of fairies and elves. Many shamanic societies – especially North and South American – link the frog with rain and control of the weather. Its voice is said to call forth the rains. Frogs are known to be heralders of abundance and fertility, for rains make things grow. Because of its connection to water, it is also linked to lunar energies (the moon moves the tides of waters upon the planet) and those goddesses associated with the moon. Emotions are often associated with water. If frog has hopped into your life, it may be time to call forth some new rains. Maybe old waters are becoming dirty and stagnant. Frog can teach you how to clean them up.”

That explains it. I wondered how Pele ended up in my shamanic soul retrieval series since the other paintings either feature the moon or moonstone jewelry, clearly the water element. I don’t ask ahead of time what the symbolism is for or what it means. I simply paint it as it comes to mind and then research it and contemplate its meaning as it pertains to my life. I’m still in the contemplation process on the entire series –> my art gallery here and I add to the individual post for each as it comes to me. I’ll keep you posted.