Awaken to the land you live on as a living being as Life Force Shamanic Arts & Healing presents the multidisciplinary arts show The Soul of the Land: From Sentience to Sovereignty.

Meet featured artist Mary Burton during open exhibit hours on Tuesday, October 15th, 1:30 – 6:30 PM.

— About “The Soul of the Land” —
Since ancient times, people respected the land that they lived on as a living being. People lived close to the land, aware that they came from the land, often thinking of it as their Mother. There was an understanding that just as humans are living, conscious beings, so is the land. In Chinese artwork, the landscape is paramount, while the humans are depicted as small specks.

Ancient peoples also thought of the land as their Sovereign, their ruler or ultimate authority. Celtic and other cultures had rituals of the king marrying the land – the land was Sovereign, and only by marrying the land did one become a king. The job of the human sovereign was to create peace and prosperity for the land and the people.

Unfortunately, in later centuries people began to think of land as mere property to be used, not a living being to relate to and be respected. Instead of humans living in harmony with the land, humans started having wars over who would control which land. In the last few decades, people themselves feel disconnected from the land, feel less and less alive. Now, both people and the land are threatened with losing their souls, their aliveness, autonomy and sovereignty.

You have a sovereign soul, and so does the land.

Sentience means being alive, feeling and conscious. Not abstract thinking consciousness, but consciousness in the body, receiving information through your body as it participates in the energy fields all around you in your environment. Sentient beings are capable of agency, and a Sovereign is one who has great agency. You must be Sentient to be Sovereign

This art exhibit seeks to inspire people to see the land as having soul, sentience, sovereignty, agency. For humans to realize that it is an honor to have a relationship with the land.

The exhibit features a wide variety of media including painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and installation. Life Force Founder & Director Joan Forest Mage says, “It’s fascinating to see the interpretations that artists have about the theme. At Life Force, our art exhibits create sacred space in which our performances and workshops become healing rituals, infused with transformative power to heal and enlighten.”

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Tags: Joan Forest Mage, Lakeview, Life Force Arts Center, Mary Burton, Mary Burton: The Soul Of The Land, Roscoe Village, The Soul Of The Land