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I made this headdress during lockdown for University in 2021. For the Assemblage strand we had to use found materials and combine them that worked within the context of our work. Because my context is Shamanism, I ordered a 3D printed wolf skull on eBay, poured paint over it and started building it up with things I had laying around. Crystals, Beads, feathers, faux fur, gemstones and cord were arranged accordingly to make this Wolf Headdress.
These Fetishes represent the Great Nurturing Mother and The Great Rainbow Mother as well as Heyoka Sacred Clown and the Dark sides of these energies. I used found materials to create them and are powerful for me. A fetish is a power object and must be wrapped in Red, natural material when not in use. A fetish represents the essence of your energetic power. The Heyoka lives in the East, so I placed mine in the Yellow direction of the medicine wheel to represent mind on the wooden base. I used my old dreads wrapped in thread for her hair.
For the Shaman Mystery School, we are asked to create sacred objects and tools. This is a Kachina Doll based on traditional Hopi history. Only this one is not a traditional kachina doll, but one that represents my growth of spirit. It represents a spiritual aspect of something physical, so I have made a Wolf Kachina as I harbour wolf medicine. The Beauty Wind Kachina deals with energy and so represents something you cannot see and is intangible. I have represented the Great Mothers such as Death Mother and Nurturing Mother with the skull and natural elements. The left side of the body represents the female, the child and the woman, so I painted the feminine symbol on her left breast. The right side of the body represents the male, the adult, pragmatic view of the universe, so I painted the masculine symbol on her right breast. The hair represents spirit, so I added some of my old dreads and some feathers of a bird. The four directions of the medicine wheel are represented on her arms and show whether I am more masculine or feminine in each direction, if I am both, then the colour is on both arms. For example Red and Yellow are painted on both arms because I am both masculine and feminine in the East and South (Mind and Physical) and more feminine in the West and North (Emotion and Spirit). It also represents the sun, the moon and the stars, Father sky and Mother Earth.
I used Basswood and carving tools to create the shape using guidelines in an Hopi carving book. Amethyst Crystal was added to the head as it is my birthstone, so is a connection to the stars and the shells represent my water sign Pisces. The feathers, hair and drum were superglued on to save time and the hair is tied back with a spool wrapped in twine. I made a sash out of canvas and attached it around her waist and painted it white, then drew lines on for effect. I saw a lot of the Kachinas in the book had White dots on a Black background and I assumed there's a meaning for it, so I painted White dots over her skirt. Maybe they are stars and represent the universe?! I tried to make it Beautiful, but it looks more demonic after painting Black around its eyes, so now I have a Demonic Wolf Kachina instead of a Beauty Wind Kachina.
It is strange to see invisible energies being represented visibly on a doll, but it helps to understand oneself better. I realised I am more than my physical self, that there are invisible aspects to us that are beautiful and greater forces at large making existence possible, such as the elements, rocks,minerals and great spirit.
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