Heron Woman beckons... Part 1

There are certain beings which permeate your vision when you live in the ancient marshes of Avalon. The more you work with the land, and by work with I simply mean to be an open hearted, respectful and thoughtful human being, the more you maybe allowed a peep through the veil, to see and be seen by those whom often remain unseen; to be visted in dream time, journeys and rituals by the animals, ancestors and spirits of the land.

This is how Heron Woman came to me.

When I first moved here, I was in many ways overwhelmed by the vivid richness of the imagery which came through in meditations and journeying. Also at a vaguely tumultuous point in my life, I had no idea how I was going to translate all I was recieivng on to paper and canvas, and this worried me greatly. As an Aries who has been learning patience over the past year (hah) I have learned that these visions are not lost; they are still there in the inbetween, the muse does not dart away so easily when the time is ripe.

As I look back at those spartan sketch books where I was desperately trying to hold on to those fleeting magical moments, a few images stand out, and Heron Woman is one of them. Now I see she was one of the first to visit me here, and now she has chosen to step forwards once more from the unseen to beckon me to journey deeper.

I am very lucky where I live, I am a stones throw away from a vast expanse of nature reserves where many amazing birds including Grey Herons, Little and Great White Egrets are a common sighting. Seeing the huge white wing span of a Great Egret stretch out and dance above the reeds is a really special vision on a sunny spring afternoon.

Even when I'm out jogging I am often suprised by a pair of Herons flying from the trees, or a solitary one standing so still I almost don't see them, and this is where Heron Woman comes in.

Avalon Heron

Some things you *know* before you know, and so when I 'saw' her through the Birch trees it came as no suprise. She allowed herself to be seen in her cloak of Heron feathers, she watched me notice her, and for a long patient moment her dark pools of eyes met mine, and then her stillness was matched by her speed as she flew away.

I had been intent for a while on drawing her but it had never worked out, the drawings seemed to lack what I felt in the moment. So, yesterday on a scorching April afternoon I took my sketchbook down to the Marshes and was blessed by the sight of all these birds, dancing and courting, or silently hunting. I sat down and drew her as I saw her, and she whispered words to me, which I will share with you in a further post.

My rough sketch of Heron Woman, which like her story, is to be continued...