Sunday, April 7, 2013

Erzulie Freda

Artist interpretation of Erzulie Freda's Vodou Veve



Spiritual and religious symbols are among my favorite sources of inspiration. This image is of the Vodou lwa Erzulie Freda's ritual symbol. 

erzulies, ritual symbol, erzulie freda, vodou veve, religious symbols, lwa, erzulie freda, Denise Alvarado, denise-alvarado
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Copyright 2013 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.
Spiritual Artist for Freedom of Expression



Pomba Gira...the One, the Many

Artist depiction of Pomba Gira



Pomba Gira: the name has a deep mystique. Pronounced "Pohm-ba Shira," She is the Great Witch, the mysterious power hidden within all women. She is a mistress of transformation, witchcraft, love, healing, and divination (Madrina Angelique). She can be one...but she is many.


Pomba Gira is an inspiration to many artists for many reasons. She is one of the people of the street, so people relate to her. There are limited perceptions of her and most of the artistic depictions of her emphasize her sexuality. I don't think this is a bad thing; in fact, it is her sacred sexuality that draws people to her. People who want more love and passion in their lives are drawn to her imagery and the message it brings. To each person a different meaning -  and that is the beauty of spiritual art. Or art in general...no one piece means the same to two people. 

A lot of folks come to Crossroads Mojo asking how to work with her. My best advice is to get the book written by Nicholaj Frisvold, Pomba Gira: Pomba Gira and the Quimbanda of Mbumba Nzila to learn about who she is. Our products are inspired by her spirit and designed to help you connect to that which draws you to her - be it love, sexuality, sensuality, healing or change of some sort - but we don't sell Pomba Gira herself, and we never have. Spirits can not be sold. They will come to you if you know how to approach them, and if you have a relationship with them, and most importantly, if they want to. To work with Pomba Gira you should find someone in your area who is willing to teach you one on one -someone who has been formally introduced to her. In fact, this is my advice for anyone seeking to learn how to work with any Spirit. Information found in books and on the internet needs to be sifted through to find the real stuff, and it should be secondary to one on one instruction. So, be on the lookout, put the word out and open yourself up to the possibilities and the right person will cross your path if it is meant to be. 

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Article and art copyright 2013 Denise Alvarado, All rights reserved worldwide.
Spiritual Artist for Freedom of Expressing Religion (SAFER)