Courage Into The Unknown

Courage is risking the known for the unknown, the familiar for the unfamiliar, the comfortable for the uncomfortable arduous pilgrimage to some unknown destination. One never knows whether one will be able to make it or not. It is a gambling, but only the gamblers know what life is."
- Osho

A friend posted this Osho quote on Facebook today and it does indeed seem so fitting for my life at the moment. There have been so many occasions in my life, and continue to arise, when I am confronted with the reality of my life. Looking at where I am in the present moment and asking what do I need to do now for me to feel good about my next move forward in life. It is not always easy. 

More and more I am finding that I need to trust my instinct more than I do; if it feels wrong, don't do it. To really trust that, even if there is nothing foreseeable on the other side, that it is okay to take a leap of faith and jump into the unknown, if that is what feels right in the belly and heart.

It has taken me a long time to to learn how to trust this and stand by my true nature, feel the colours of my life and dive into the mixing palette to find each time a new expression or way of life. 

Ultimately it is all okay. The only thing that I find not okay, is not to say yes to myself. If I can say yes to myself and learn to love myself fully and healthily, then that opens the doorway to authentic living in all aspects of life. 

Who knows where I will end up? I keep following the next step of 'YESS-NESS' in life and in return for the risk and gamble, am feeling the beauty of life itself.

In A Word Or Two

I have arrived in Portugal and have been feeling into the path of the pilgrimage that lies ahead of me later this year, I have not been able to post very easily for the last 2 weeks due to moving around a lot. 

A selection of pages are still available for you choose which one you like to become a Page Pilgrim. 

Support me on my journey and receive a unique opportunity to have an actual page of art from my new book. A visual and authentic document of walking a pilgrimage, the artistic way. Enjoy my latest video as I describe a bit about what this means to me. smile emoticon

Click here to buy a page

What In The Art Could It Be?

Hello Everyone, 

As the project evolves and people from all over the world are becoming Page Pilgrims by buying pages, I thought I would do a select showcase of some of my illustration work from over the last few years to give you a little soupçon of what one could expect in the art book that will be created along the way of the Camino Pilgrimage. 

These images are illustrations from sketch books, commissions, performance projects and exhibitions.

I am so happy to have so many of you along, with half of the pages sold so far in a couple of weeks since I launched the project, I am curious to see who else joins us on this artistic pilgrimage of inner and outer landscapes. To a become Page Pilgrim in this special artist event, book creation, performance walk and potentially life changing event in the making click here

"Before a new chapter is begun, the old one has to be finished. 

Stop being who you were, and change into who you are". 

Paulo Coelho

 

Hazel Evans © All rights reserved

Walking With The Moon

Now, there are no guarantees for what will arrive on the page each day, but I  just thought I would share with you some of my recent work that has been manifesting in the energy of the moons.

Earlier this year a new body of work arrived between the spring solar eclipses. These beauties represent the Goddess energies of the four elements; Air and Soul Singer, Fire and Pathfinder, Water and Deep Diver and Earth and Great Queen. They are also in the essence of Rhiannon, Goddess of Love and sacred vessel for the female body.

The whole collection of 9 illustrations forms a wheel indicating the year and archetypal energies of all the Goddess of Love aspects; including Wild Maiden, Lover, Mother Midwife and Wise Woman Crone and the centre is the great illuminator and mirror through the veil of love. 

If you would like to become a Page Pilgrim, haven't chosen your number yet, are keen on astrology and the potential of what could arise with the energy of the moons. I look forward to the creative gifts and energy that this project will bring. In joy and welcome new Page Pilgrims.

A little exert on the power of the moon

... It is the space between time, the crack in the worlds. Suspension of the normal day to day activities. Time to play, party and enjoy the moments. In other times when human life may have been less stressful and regimented everyone got together and celebrated. Maybe we can begin to re-create this magical sacred space..

(Selected information from darkstarastrology.com)

Week By Week Pilgrimage

As time progresses and more Page Pilgrims are buying pages and joining me in spirit on my pilgrimage from Lisbon to Santiago and onto Fisterra, I am realising the extent to which I have created a project which is going to impact me in many ways and beyond probably anything I can expect.

To help you choose what page you would like to buy here is a compact week by week description of the landscapes that the path will take me on. Every week and every day will bring me new things for my daily artist entry into the 40 Pages of Pilgrimage diary. A hot pot of landscapes, thoughts, inspirations, emotions, and reflections will all go into the mix for daily creation.

To own an original page from this unique book I will be creating and publishing and take part in the art in the making go to Buy Pilgrimage Page.

It will be wonderful to create a page for someone each day. The illustrations, poems, writings, jottings, line makings, scribbles and whatever else that may arise be will all be part of this wonderful visual journey journal that I wish to create and I would love to have you join me along The Way.

Here is the route I will be embarking on and a rough guide to arrival and departure points along the way to help you choose your page.

Week 1 -  Lisbon to Santarem - From Vibrant Lisbon, following the river, water and current of life, through the ‘Garden of Portugal’ and onto a Gothic city

Week 2 - Santarem to Coimbra - Rolling hills, olive groves and through a temple city following the Roman roads and farm tracks - walking a variety of paths. 

Week 3 - Coimbra to Porto - Through picturesque woodlands and vineyards leading to the Atlantic Ocean and into the famous UNESCO port. 

Week 4 - Porto to Tui - The path weaves through countryside and town, traverses the threshold into Spain rife with history and spectacular baroque architecture. 

Week 5 - Tui to Santiago - Quiet country roads and beautiful woodlands, gentle rivers and coastline paths weave the way to the glorious Santiago de Compostela. 

Week 6 - Santiago to Fisterra - A walk to the end of the world! Onto the Costa da Morte (Coast of Death) where pagans believed the sun died and the worlds of the dead and the living became closer. A journey towards the expanse of the Atlantic.

Deciding to Walk the Walk

Those times we all have. The mind starts churning at 4 am. By 5 am I was determined not to let my mind be the bearer of heavy words any longer on my vulnerable morning self, so I went down to beach. I took my phone and a speaker with intentions to dance.

When I got to the beach, there was no one there at all. I walked along the cliff top and felt my fear of going onto the beach alone. My vulnerability. It occurred to me, if I couldn't even be alone on the beach how could I ever possibly manage anything like walking a pilgrimage. So I went down. Diving into exploring fearlessness.

Of course, when I got there, I was fine. I was safe.

I was experiencing one of those times of feeling lost and self detrimental... an invitation for another breakthrough.

Choosing to step out of living in a conventional way in society, this year has been about constantly moving, inner and outer landscapes of my daily existence. I feel deep into the motions of life and am letting my sensitive self awaken and live more and more.

So on this morning, I gave myself to the sea with my dance. I put on my music and journeyed into the simplicity of being present on the beach that morning. Dancing, playing and moving the sand. I asked the flowing waters, the morning air and went deep inside. "What do I need to do before the end of this year?" The answer was immediate ... "Walk the way of the pilgrimage". Immediate sense of purpose came in to me. I felt that the decision to do this was beyond my mind thinking it could be a good idea.

Then, as the waters flowed and my dance continued, the idea of sharing the journey as a work of art came. It felt right to let the art continue a journey beyond the end of the pilgrimage. The final destination will be as each piece of art arrives with the people who chose to come with me as Page Pilgrims, and this is all over the world.

My art is very much about sharing the experience with others. I hope that what I do inspires others in some way to reflect on their lives and explore their inner and outer landscapes.

Life is for living and yes, I feel the fear of embarking on this journey as I walk alone. My journey of self discovery over the last 10 years has been incredible when I look back at it. When I returned to England from living in France I was completely broken. When I felt a victim of what people seemed to have been doing to me, I stood up and realised it was me who had to change. Only I had to do the work on myself to stop attracting destruction and pain in my life, I had to find my way back to my home within. From constant adjusting, believing I was not good enough, believing that others knew best for me, suppressing my true and sensitive self, (conditioning and brainwashing of society not helping this either), I had learned not to feel my instincts any more. And now? Well, I have learned to walk the path of self love so that I can feel the authenticity of my life. I am still learning, and I am work in progress as always, but I have a lot of love in my life and I feel that I am returning to feel my true 'wild' essence of healthy woman.

And so I will walk. Not to find myself, but to imprint new steps onto my authentic path. I walk with gratitude for everyone who has come into my life, I see them as teachers for things I have had to learn to find my way back to my soul home and authentic way of being. My heart is open to life and my self.

To join me on my journey you can buy an original page from the artist diary and become a Page Pilgrim.

Click here to become a Page Pilgrim