Goddess of Red Dress
Goddess of Red Dress
Goddess of Red Dress and White Lily
The name and description of this painting is still unknown. But in my years of discussion with Ilene around the red dress and white Lily, these are my memories we shared.
Ilenes own Words: “In ancient cultures around the world it was not the color of white that denoted Spiritual power as it is in our modern American society. It was red that was for the ancients the power of Life, of the Goddess or of the Divine feminine. It was the color red that imbued life and vitality and was generative. It was red that symbolized a good connection to physical health. So you can see why even today in the East a gift with red on it is considered to be very good luck.”
Here in this and many other paintings Ilene choose the color red for clothes of her women because they are the Goddess of the Divine Feminine. Within each woman the empowerment of this Divine Feminine energy is naturally available. And through her touch the light of this Divine Energy is released as lightening. This theme is shown in many of Ilene’s painting and sketches.
The symbol of the inner world source of this Divine Feminine Energy is within and is shown as the circle behind this woman. The circle for Ilene always represented Sophia’s Sacred Circle of Creation. In her own words this is what this represent in all her paintings. “Sophia’s Sacred Circle Of Creation There is a legend that goes like this. In the Beginning when there was no time or space. Out of the dark of eternal night. A call went out from the void. The call was from the spirits of all those that wanted to be born.
The unborn birds called out and the unborn animals called. The rain called out and the Sun and Moon called out to be born. The unborn trees called out and the unborn plants and insects called out. Even the souls of women and man called out. They called out all at once and all together the all called to be born.
The Creator sent Sophia the Spirit of Wisdom and upon hearing this great calling out to be born, she began to create by molding the stuff of Stars and space and time itself. She created a great and beautiful egg. She blew from her breath of life and wisdom upon the egg and the egg turned into the Earth. The fire from Her inner light stirred the Earth and baked I bright with life. Then a great magic happened to it, the Earth. It
came alive and all things grew and were given voice and in the beginning all life and all things came into full being. The legend says they all lived in harmony for a very, very long time. Some say we all long for that perfect peace we once knew so long ago. This painting is in celebration of life and peace that now we must
find again. Perhaps we should start the search by finding the breath of wisdom again. We are born in wisdom and it rests within waiting like the egg to be awakened within.”
The Lily for ilene represent the purity, the innocence of rebirth. This is the Divine Feminine energy behind the symbol of Mary and rebirth. In other cultures and times the Lily represented the Goddess of Creation and Fertility. So the spiritual you charges your rebirth to give you the opportunity of living life in your own unique way.
