“Mystic Travelers”

The inspiration for this painting came from the ancient pictographs located along the Pecos River in Texas. Carbon dating has determined that these works of art are 3,000 to 4,000 years old. These images were created long ago by a reverent shaman seeking advice from the spirits. The shaman is the one stood between his or her people and the dangerous and mysterious forces of the world. He or she had many responsibilities. They were healers, visionaries, and part of the tribal council. The shaman was also a guardian of the tribe’s spiritual harmony and was often capable of Soul Flight.

Travelling to the spirit world required an altered state of consciousness. These journeys were often called ‘vision quests.’  Vision quests were brought on by a variety of techniques that varied from tribe to tribe and region to region. They were often brought on by intense fasting and meditation, dancing, chanting, and with or without the use of  hallucinogenic herbs. When this altered state was achieved, a shaman could travel to the spirit world, and once there he or she could acquire knowledge and wisdom to help the tribe. When these vision quests were complete, the mystic traveler would return to our world carrying messages and magic from the spirit realm.

This pictograph has a real sense of  spiritual mystery. There is an abundance of figures and shapes dancing around elongated figures. The nondescript way in which these images are painted and the strange serpent-like creature slithering down from above create a dreamlike quality to this place. Could this be what a shaman saw during a vision quest, 4,000 years ago? We know that the creation of art in itself is a form of meditation. This makes it easy to imagine a shaman in an altered state creating these images over a period of days, and during that time, travelling in and out of our world.