by Mary Jane Miller, text and paintings

The emergence of Homo sapiens is not an accident of unfathomable probability. The conditions for our existence are precise, the distance from the Sun, the atmosphere that protects us from its harmful intensity, and a constant orbit that makes day and night happen. As thinking beings we sometimes forget how unique and inseparable we are from the light and our need for things to carry on the same way year to year. We need every aspect of life to continue as usual for our survival. Imagine if the oxygen level changed or water disappeared, the light from above and the mind's light would take on a new dimension.

There is tremendous power humans have in what we do, think, and say as we live our lives. Unseen ripples of energy and connections happen and radiate from each of us without our knowing. Life is awe-inspiring. It is an undivided field by associations, in transition. The mystics have known this, and the painters depicting the creation story have portrayed it.

I paint with dirt from our planet. The art medium is called egg tempera; egg yolk and million-year-old ground stone. Any medium the artist paints with needs water. With the most recent heat hammering down on us every day the idea of water has enlivened my sense of how much is changing in our world, especially here in the high desert of Mexico. I have lived in this town for 50 years, we are losing access to the natural sources of water and it is stressing our livelihood and landscape.

There used to be a trickle of water year-round in the Rio Laja, the rainy season lasted a full four months, and the fields, though dry were never scorched dirt that lifts with the wind. The nopales changed little throughout the year. Now we see the cacus pads hanging limp, dried out, and shriveled. There are fewer bugs, birds, and animals throughout the landscape and in our gardens.

I remember on the ranchos this time of year the residents prepared their fields to plant corn, they danced and gave thanks in expectation of the coming rain. They made small offerings at home and in church to San Isidro, the patron saint of farmers. They would climb to the highest place on the ranch where a cross stood over the valley and made prayers in hopes of a good harvest. We have lost the tradition of asking the sky or the gods to bring down water. Our attitudes have become filled with fear instead of thanksgiving.

One big change this new age is teaching us is, what we think is what we manifest. In San Miguel Allende there is an abundance of personal work being done to adjust the mind. Yoga, sound healing, crystals, aroma therapy, meditation, astrology, tai chi, massage, organic food, and breath work contribute to our becoming more aware and sensitive to the delicate balance between flesh and spirit. Our lifestyle is connected to Earth and Creation and all of it needs water. The substance is precious, just as much as life and light are precious.

I am a churchgoer and have always wondered why have the teachings of some religious institutions not emphasized the love and protection of the Earth and water, despite their importance for sustaining life. This amazing substance we need to sustain life is a gift given in perfect balance. We are stewards and caretakers. How can individuals use their minds to bring forth rain and contribute to the abundance of water? When the rain comes it will help everyone and fall on each of us evenly.

When we let ourselves be loved by the creator and creation, we come to know the unending magnitude of our existence in, by, and through Spirit. Meditation opens the mind and heart to marvel at the big bang idea. The indivisible moment of birth or conception is pure mystery, we come out of water into the light. When we pause to ask how it all came into being, the answer is simple, Life is awe-inspiring. Make each day a prayer for goodness and water, too.

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Mary Jane Miller born in New York and living in Mexico full time, is a self-taught Byzantine style iconographer with over 28 years of experience. Her collections of sacred art are contemporary, with a proficient command of egg tempera. The work is extraordinarily rich in style and has been exhibited in museums and churches in both the United States and Mexico. As an author, Miller blends historical content and personal insights to arrive at contemporary conclusions about faith. Her ten self-published books include Mediation and Iconography, Icon Painting Revealed, Mary in Iconography, In Light of Women, Life in Christ and The Stations. Miller has been published online and in publications such as Divine Temple, Russian Orthodox Journal, Faith and Forum Magazine, Liturgy Today and Profiles of Catholicism. She teaches four courses annually, 5-day immersion workshops throughout the US and Mexico.

Iconography - www.sanmiguelicons.com
Contemporary Icon Books - www.millericons.com/books
Workshops - www.sacrediconretreat.com

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