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CornishAnon β Solar Fairy
Published: 2010-04-29 03:31:23 +0000 UTC; Views: 1449; Favourites: 36; Downloads: 20
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I uploaded this on my main account but I'll divulge the story behind it here.In paganism, the branch of Wicca mostly, it is frustrating that the image of God is often cast aside in favour of the Goddess. IMHO the Horned One is to be celebrated, but then I am fervent seeker of absolute balance and fairness in life. If the Goddess was pushed aside I would likely be singing her praises.
Anyway, while the roles and symbolism of the Lord and Lady are clear cut into tidy boxes to me it seems as restraining as the patriarchy of Christianity. Men must be this and women must be this.
Like the yin yang symbol, there resides some of the opposite in each part. Neither women nor men should be boxed respectively by society by such stupid expectations. Why is a woman's femininity dimmed if she admires power or physical strength? Why are men scorned for daring to show emotions when they are in pain? Why is a gentle disposition seen as weak?
There are women who are comfortable in a pair of jeans and a sweater, who never touched a pair of high heels in their life. They might love wrestling, or football, and not faking interest for attention or approval. They love video games, maybe they become mothers who play in the dirt and climb trees with their kids. Maybe they're not mothers at all. Maybe they're stunningly beautiful and are managers with high salaries, or maybe they're a little eye shadow and a pony tail at the local gardening center.
None of these things should make them less of a woman.
So here is a celebration of in Wicca terms, those of us who embrace the whole of what we are:
I am courage, I am strength, I am honor, I am kindness, I am love, I am gentleness.
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Comments: 16
I am courage, I am strength, I am honor, I am kindness, I am love, I am gentleness."
BAMN!
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She is very cool and I definitely agree with your sentiments and ideas. I'm Pagan, and agree there is strength in women and gentleness in men (I'm married to such a guyβhe's a rarity, too, a computer geek with the heart of a romantic).
I love the designs in this piece, and she does "feel" strong. I also really love the relatively muted palette you used, and of course the art nouveau style.
You called her a Fairy. I wonder if you could do a version of her without the wings? I think she might even be stronger in some ways. Just an idea.
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my major belief is in the Spirit Mother Earth. this reminds me of Her.
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nicely done, though I think that many Wiccans *do* go for the 'balance' thing, which imo as a Dianic, isn't necessary in a patriarchal world, but that's my personal feeling; I like that you have combined several sorts of images here: muscles on anime-ish fairy fantasy art, and not necessarily caucasian
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Sorry this is so late I haven't had time to work on stuff for this account.
I really appreciate your comment, this is exactly the kind of thing that's important to me.
How we feel about balance I'm sure is a personal thing based on our every day experiences. If you are constantly on the receiving end of fall out from a patriarchal society it seems logical to concentrate on the female aspect, for your own peace and sanity among other things.
I am constantly looking to level the balance against stereotypes, so some of the things that are important to me include challenging the perception that femininity is all about short skirts, 3 hours on your hair and the choice of 300 colours of nail varnish as well as the underestimating the need for father figures in childrens lives. For some reason fatherhood is seen as a joke, like someone who invests time in their children is seen as an idiot or strange by other men.
I thought about a traditional western fantasy approach but since it was a redo of an old picture I thought I'd keep it anime. Representing that women hold strength, confidence and determination and it just didn't make sense for a sun fairy to be white, unless she was sun burnt 
Thanks again for the comment!
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Lovely concept and I agree on what you're saying.
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Thanks!
You've got some great photographs!
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Each and every one of us is a mixture of masculine and feminine traits - it's how we're made, and comes from the days when Mankind was hermaphroditic... Or why do men have nipples?
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I know it seems super obvious right? Like I should never have even felt the need to mention it or make a picture, but I had a hard time adjusting to life outside of Cornwall both in Cheshire and even more so here in Georgia.
People are so absolutely rigid in how boys and girls are meant to be, act and represent that (true stories) one time my father in law went on a rant about girls shouldn't be wearing boys trainers (and so on) and another member of family was lecturing my husband because he was talking about getting a green mobile phone.
"Should you really be getting a green phone? I mean that's not very masculine...what about blue or black". Seriously, it went on for at least 10 minuets. He is 25 years old.
As someone who was raised on Thundercats, Sonic and Street Fighter, consistently wore hoodies (Flying Dodo
And yet, I just can't imagine men without nipples. It makes me feel uncomfortable enough when I see belly buttons airbrushed out or minimized in Photoshop!
Also on the Colbert Report (great show) they had this section on frogs in a river somewhere that the chemicals dumped in it had caused them to change sexes. With all the crazy pollutants who is to say what gender biology we will have in the future
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I can understand that... the world seems fixed on gender stereotypes and roles. In my younger days as a Goth I was forever getting homophobic remarks and even physical attacks, despite being "straight" - some people can't understand why a nominally heterosexual male would wear makeup. Because it makes me look pretty? Quite possibly...
Plus, most of my friends were, and still are, women. Beautiful Goth women, at the time I'm discussing. So why would a guy like me hang around with gorgeous women if I'm not having sex with them? Oh, and THAT's why you think I'm gay, because I can be platonic friends with females? In any case, most of those women WERE gay! Gender roles and stereotypes, I spit on you!
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It sounds like a lot of people were jealous! Probably because most people wise up pretty quickly to individuals who are trying to get close to them for ulterior motives*. They could not get in a position to abuse their trust, and you refused to.
It's sad though, there are so many friendships to be made and things to be learned from one another without the use of tinted lenses of predisposition. That's not just gender though - I have a Swedish friend, an Israeli friend, a Christian friend, a Muslim friend (though I lost her contact not spoken to her in 3 years 
I find it bizarre that there are people, as you say, who just don't believe platonic relationships even exist. It's like a slab of beef in Tescos and refusing to believe it was once part of a living cow. Or something. Good at analogies, I am not lol
*Reminds me of this stupid Twix commercial:
[link]
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It's very difficult for some people to take in. My bestest friend and drinking buddy, Vikky (she modelled for the "Butterfly Faerie" in my pic [link] ) used to take me with her when she went on first dates with potential new boyfriends! (When it came to girlfriends, it was a different matter...) One bloke in particular waited until Vikk went to the loo, then asked me "So, how long were you two together?" Over ten years - as best friends, and only once did we ever even kiss! Lots of hugs and affectionate kisses, yes, but only once did one linger! And this despite the number of times we stayed over at each other's homes after a drunken night!
Gender, sexuality, religion... I'm a Druid, many of my friends are pagans, but I'm also friends with Christians, a Jew, even a Sikh. Nationality-wise, I've dated a Swede, several Americans, a Scot, an Irishwoman and a Japanese girl. I didn't realise how close to home prejudice ran - my own mother threatened to disown me if I married my Japanese girlfriend, because of the war! Neither of us had even been born then, and my mother was only a girl herself. How deeply such prejudice lingers. As it turned out she (the young lady) and I parted without the parental interference, but even today she's on my Facebook Friends list - she has teenage children of her own now, but I don't think they know I used to date their mum!
Thanks for the link to the commercial! I've never seen it before, but I watched the rest of the series - how funny! As for your analogy, I get the point you're trying to make. Just because two people are biologically equipped to have sex with each other it doesn't mean they're going to.
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