Remembering Michael Anthony Gritz - my DearHeart friend, Brother of Spirit

 As some of you may know, my dearest friend Michael left us on December 25th, 2023. My brother of spirit is now my brother in spirit.  We shared a unique closeness for over forty years. The friend who becomes family; at times a house mate, Godfather to my child, Alexander, partner in work and many endeavors. The person you always trusted and was always at ease with.

We shared many things, interests and sensibilities and the collages here are some cards I made for various celebrations of Michael; including our totems of Bat and Crow.  I share them with you in celebration of his  being.  Now, he's in the stars.

Solstice Sister and Brother

Masked Ball for Michael

Dragon for Michael

Bats At Tea for Michael

Billy Porter and the Guys for Michael

All Hallows for Michael

Steampunk Bat Man & Magical Grandmother for Michael

Wings and Roses for Michael

Thank You for Michael

Archangel for Michael

This is the last card I made for Michael.  It's a portrait of him dressed as Yule Man. I made two versions and this is him with bat energy. I hope he liked this rather elegant look. I never heard from him about it or my last Yule gift to him.

Yule Man Michael

Ever in my heart. Ever with me. 

Till another time.

Halloween, Hallows, Day of the Dead

 Hidden Realms,  the Veil Between Worlds, Magick and Mystery, Celebrating Loved Ones Gone. Embrace the Moon. Listen to the Earth. Invite the Others.  This is that time of the year.

 

Michael @ Hallows collage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day of the Dead - Mi Dio de los Muretos collage

 

For Anthony & Rose, Elizabeth, Julia C, Peter, Helen, Martha, 

Oscar, Christian, Dave, Pat, Jerry, Julia H and Jim

 

Hallows Past...

Frida at Hallows collage

 

 

Bad Dolly Trick or Treat collage

 

I Still Repeat the Things You Said collage

All Halloweend collage

 

The Darkling Series

 

The first images came to me while I was watching the Victorian gothic mysterious Penny Dreadful series. I dreamt of dark gowns and then as I began some image searches, the sense that these gowned ladies were holders of energy, held in their symbols and totems came to me. 

After I collected some 'dark gowns', the first totem arose - the Bat.  The Bat, so often symbol of the night and mysterious.  But more so a being of extraordinary perception of direction.  So the 'dark' totems became more expansive. As you will see many totem animals arose -Crow, Spider, Snake, Octopi, Lion and in the 'Clan Guardians' - we see Wolf, Panther, Eagle and Bear.

I have been working on these Darklings for several months now.  Some came in quick succession. Others had a waiting time.  A friend likened them to the images on Tarot cards and they do seem to echo those symbolic archetypal images.  Tarot has accompanying interpretations and here the collage titles serves that role;  so if you were to draw 'Minon, Knower of Direction', she could lead you to contemplate, query and associate to direction - needing it, finding it, knowing it is there and so on.

Some of the images offered the main character's name first, the quality being expressed secondly. Others came without a 'name' and only the quality and I have named the images accordingly. Each name came with it's own spelling - some of which are not 'actual' names or spellings; and in one a friend told me the meaning of the name.  So as you can see, this series has been an interesting intuitive and 'allowing' process for me.  I am not sure the Darklings are complete, but decided to share these seven today.

In that, I decided to google the meaning of today's date, August 11, and found this:  August 11^th is the day of validation. Individuals born on August 11^th express a strong desire to reveal the truth. They also have a predisposition to the dark side of life and places that others are not used to.

Don't you just  love it when the Multiverse seems to be communicating with you?  I do.

Minon - Knower of Directions ~ Darkling Series

Arane' - Mistress of Webs of Interconnection ~ Darkling Series

Keepers of the Unconscious ~ Darkling Series

Corvidae - She Who Remembers ~ Darkling Series

Oralia - Embracer of Change & Adaptability ~ Darkling Series

Clan Guardians ~ Darkling Series

Leiondra - Strength Though Clan ~ Darkling Series