My dad used to pray for the political prisoners in Russia and he taught me to do the same. I feel like praying for prisoners is a sacred practice in the same way as praying for the sick or anyone in need for that matter. To be languishing in prison and to be forgotten must be one of the darkest places to be.
So I decided to create a watercolour as a gift for someone that I have never met. This person has been in prison for a long time (decades) in the United States. After reading his story, I don’t believe that he is guilty of the crimes he has been convicted for. I won’t mention the name of the person because I feel like this piece of work needs to be kept between him and me. To be honest, I don’t know if he has even received it at all but I pray that he has. And I hope he likes it.
Once I had decided to create some artwork for him in solidarity of his cause, I did a shamanic journey to his situation to ask for guidance as to what to paint. The spirits answered my questions about his past and I was given the symbol of the beaded disc and eagle feathers. I added the soaring eagle above them as a symbol of freedom, insight and strength of spirit. The intended recipient is also an artist and a writer and has certainly inspired me through his stalwart spirit to keep going through all these years. Weaker souls would certainly have folded under the pressure.
I hope and pray one day that he is set free and can go home to his family where he belongs. Aho.