Time for Reflection
"I have expensive wallpaper" - Philip Johnson 40 x 60 Edition #2/10 C-Print in plexi
The Great Pause is upon us or as Bob Dylan would put it "The times they are a changin." That has never been more so than right now! Today we are reaching out on a more personal note than usual and we hope that when we connect again that we can hear your stories too.
When we reflect on nature, we see that she has her own intelligence and if we choose to tune into that truth, then here is an opportunity to change both our interior lives and change the world for the better. It is a unique moment in human history that calls us to redirect our energy into what is truly important: e
mpathy, compassion, kindness, right action, mutual understanding, courage, patience and love. There is a choice to be made. Here in our household we are choosing to quarantine ourselves, boost our immune systems and connect with friends and colleagues to share our experiences.
We are choosing not to endanger our fellow human beings to the best of our ability. We are choosing not to feed into the chaos but to remain calm amidst the storm. To us this is just common sense. We have left the heroics to our heroes: grocery store workers, the postal service, doctors and nurses, first responders and garbage collectors. The folks that should be making the wages that football players make! This is the BIG shake up as we realize who is really doing the important work. Yes, I miss my weekly soccer games but not as much as I would miss our heroes if they were not around.
Like many of our friends and clients we are struggling with a lack of business. But right now that is not our focus (excuse the pun!).
What you see below is our priority. This is our living room which we have transformed into a space for healing.
My wife of 26 years, Cindy was diagnosed with breast cancer almost five years ago. It has been an epic voyage through the byzantine United States Health Care System that despite us having health insurance has cost us a small fortune. The care she really needed is not covered and has required us to seek help from other countries and states. Cindy has just returned from Tijuana, Mexico where she received cutting edge treatment much of it not available in the United States. I was supposed to go with her but because of the pandemic, she went alone and heroically went through the process. She managed to get across the border because her travel was deemed necessary. On the flight home on JetBlue there were just a handful of passengers but that didn't stop the airline charging her $150 for excess baggage!
We are throwing the Kitchen Sink at Cindy's illness which includes:
a radical diet, massage, low dose chemotherapy, antibodies, a cancer vaccine (developed in Germany), Vitamin C infusions, Vitamin K infusions, hyperthermia treatment and energy healing. The last of those takes place daily in our newly converted living room. I am no expert but I do bring everything I've got to the table (literally!)
The practice stems from my work training as a shaman. When Cindy first got sick she went to see one here in Miami. She had a good experience and suggested I go too. Little did I know that after my session I would be invited to become a student! I trained for several years here in Miami with Shaman:
Flavio Moy. The training was inspiring, arduous and full of surprises. It eventually led us both to Peru where we were initiated as 'Pampamesejo shamans'
(Guardians of the Altiplano) of the Qe'ro nation by Nicholas and Julio Paucaar - both direct descendants of the Inca Kings. The process is intense and involves a pilgrimage to the sacred mountain known as Ausangate where one of the rites of passage involves diving into a glacial lake at 17000 feet. On this journey I reached a point of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual exhaustion. I peered over the edge of existence and after an experience of total surrender, I found pure awareness and within that awareness I could perceive the entire dance of life and in that dance was the most exquisite gratitude. It is that gratitude that I channel when I am working with Cindy in the healing room. I do not know if this will save her but I do know that it helps!
Below: Preparing for initiation at the sacred mountain, Ausangate. Shaman Flavio to the right and master shamans Nicholas and Julio Pauccaar creating the portal of transformation.
Training as a shaman brought about huge changes in my artistic practice. One of Flavio's best sayings is: "A shaman is an artist and an artist is a shaman". I took that on board and out of nowhere produced an entire body of work inspired by this ancient tradition. Seventy organic portraits such as the one below manifested in rapid fashion. Together they make up an oracle deck of cards called "The Folks of Lore". You can see the rest of the series
here
My wife Cindy, my daughter, Grace and I are not complainers. (well, apart from excess baggage charges!!!!) We do not shift the blame onto other people. We accept responsibility for our own lives and we are committed to our pledge of integrity. We may not live up to that all the time, but we give life a good "college try" and we have been very fortunate to connect with many folks who share these values and if you are reading this then chances are you too reflect that.
This is us:
We send out to all of you positive vibes and want to thank everyone for their continued support both moral and physical. May you sail safely through this storm. Like everything else, this too shall pass.
Our agent is Ed Christin. Please contact him if you see any artworks that take your liking. Our cause is noble!
He can be reached at edchristin@gmail.com
With great respect and gratitude
Robin, Cindy and Grace.
305 785 6538
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