Would ya believe it!

Well, would ya believe it, after posting my reluctance to sell the gods, Lynda, the owner of Pyewacket, a pagan shop in Hertfordshire, has agreed to take a couple on trial! We met at the Lammas games back in August and I emailed her when I got home 'cos I was very skint. I heard nothing for ages, and in the process of hearing nothing, re-conceived the whole gods thing into the project that is unfolding here. Hmm. So, a) good that she did'nt contact me earlier because then I'd not have thought through this project, and b) good and confusing that she has contacted me now because I am a bit thrown and not sure if I should be selling these gods now. Perhaps, though, if I sell some gods then they can produce some of the seed money to fund the larger project?
Anyway very glad that she contacted me simply because I liked her, beyond the whole selling stuff. So a new friend! Can't be bad.

Change of plan - Manifesto

To those of you who visited this blog after the first email, apologies. The content of this site is changing because I have decided not to sell these guys after all. It just felt wrong to be making these things in order to sell them. I wanted them to mean more than notes in the bank account, (although money in the bank would be no bad thing, believe me!).
No, I am going to make this a long term art project with, I hope Arts Council funding, good gallery support, this blog, workshops and hopefully a book.
I want to make many of these 'gods.' I haven't fixed on a number yet, but as the idea of them all together was inspired by Anthony Gormley's 'Field for the British Isles' it had better be a lot! They shall be made of organic (where possible) sheep's wool, perhaps also from many different breeds, reflecting the diversity of species in the British Isles. Some will be dyed using natural plant dyes, sourced from sustainable plant communities in Britain. The substance of the gods will come through my own study of the mythology and gods of pagan Britain (Albion) as well as a contemporary engagement with the land and spirit of place.
At the end of the exhibition each god will be taken away by a member of the public and placed in various locations throughout Britain. Suitable locations would be caves, rivers, parks, gardens, hospitals, schools, wild moorland, compost heaps, landfill sites, quarries, community centres, 'green' burial sites, etc. The intention is that most of the gods would be returned to the land, that through the act of weathering they would decompose and eventually exist only in written, photographic and oral memory. During the exhibition, members of the public will be asked to write a short statement detailing where they would place one of the gods, and how the presence of the god spirit might help, heal or bring a sense of reverence to that place. It would be nice to then publish these statements, with accompanying photographs, into a book, recording the process.
The idea is to work through the process of intention. That perhaps, through the intention (which is a form of prayer) of the artist, support groups, and the public, something can be created that will work on the psyche of the people and help in some small way to reinforce the ecological work that is being done throughout Britain
I also intend to put together workshops and talks which will be able to explore such issues as sustainability in art practice, reflections on the role farming, especially wool production, has had on the development of Britain, and ways in which our contemporary, primarily urban, society can engage with a sense of place and awaken a reverence for the land.
These ideas are of course in a formative stage and may develop further.
Also, to partially fund this project, I am making small Goddess figures, green man wall plaques and maybe other small items from the felt cut offs. So I will post further details soon.
Blessings on you all.

Welcome

Welcome to the Pagan Idols of Albion blogsite. The following pagan idols are currently available:

Herne; the 'Horned God.'
According to Wikipedia:
"Herne is said to have been a huntsman in the employ of King Richard II in and around Windsor Forest. He saved the King's life when he was attacked by a cornered white hart, but was mortally wounded himself in the process. A local wizard brought him back to health using his magical powers, which entailed tying the dead animal's antlers on Herne's head. In return, however, Herne had to give up his hunting skills. Finding himself without the living that he loved, Herne went mad and ran into the Forest, antlers still in place. He was found the next day, hanging dead from a lone oak tree. "
Herne may be associated with the Anglo Saxon God Woden (Odin, the 'All Father') who rides across the midnight sky with a band of wild huntsman, or possibly developed from the Celtic horned god, Cernunnos. Whatever his origins, Herne vividly embodies the spirit of the dark and dangerous wildwood that once covered Britain.
However, the character of Herne that I have made seems much more to embody the spirit of Terry Pratchett's 'Herne the Hunted' from his 'Discworld' series of books. This Herne is the god of those animals destined to end up as a "brief, damp, squeak."
Herne stands 34cm high and is made of hand carded and felted Jacobs sheep wool. He is decorated with green glass beads . £50 (£5 p&p in UK and Europe)Email me to reserve this one

Eostre
She is the goddess associated with the pagan festival of Imbolc (pron. "imm-olk"). She is a virginal goddess although the embodiment of potential fecundity and is associated with new beginnings, spring-time and the ever renewing spirit.
My Eostre is made of hand felted Shetland sheep wool and has been dyed useing meadowsweet leaves. Her hair is undyed, uncombed wool. She is not suitable as a toy.
Eostre stands 33cm high.
£50 (£5 p&p in UK and EuropeEmail me to reserve this one

Puck - a.k.a Robin Goodfellow, Pan.
He is also a god of the forests and green places. A mischevious, cheerful fellow, a lover of wine and song. He is often depicted with goat horns and cloven hoofs. In his aspect as the god Pan he is a very ancient deity, whose name can be traced back to the vastly ancient Indo-European language. This is a god of fertility who revels in the joys of life.
Puck is made of hand felted Shetland sheep wool which has been dyed using wild tansy leaves and flowers.
He is decorated with hand embroidery, glass beads and has a beard and ruff of uncombed, dyed wool. Puck is 28cm high. £50(£5 p&p in UK and EuropeEmail me to reserve this one

Luna.

Luna embodies the Moon goddess, who has many names and aspects. This particular one represents the Mother Goddess, her pregnant belly decorated with an image of the full moon and decorated with pale blue glass beads. She wears a headdress in the shape of an upturned crescent moon symbolising her connection to all the moon's tides. The Dark Goddess is often seen as a destructive force. Here she is the embodiment of the powerful life-giving forces that work unseen; from those below ground in the darkness of the soil where seeds are nurtured and decaying matter becomes fertile soil, to the dark recesses of our own subconcious where creativity finds it's nourishment. Luna's face is not human, but has an owlish, distant, gaze.

Luna is made of undyed Jacobs sheep wool. She is decorated with glass beads and silver thread. She is 32cms high. £50 (£5 p&p in UK and Europe)Email me to reserve this one

The Druidess was meant to be an embodiment of the Green man but once I made her it seemed obvious that she was a She. The Druidess represents the wisdom of the ancients, of knowledge handed on from generation to generation. She is the embodiment of the Grandmother, witch or wise-woman. Her knowledge is of the wild places, of bees and herbs; there is dirt under her fingernails and compassion in her understanding. She is decorated with pine cones and has an apron of wild bird feathers. She carries an oak staff.
Druidess is 24cms high. £35 (£5 p&p in UK and Europe)Reserved