I am so touched by this Tarot experience and the subsequent creations of these talented Ukrainian students!
When a dear friend of mine–an IB Art teacher in Ukraine– asked me if I could come on Zoom to read Tarot for her students, I didn’t think twice!
They all had very rich lives and educational experiences in Ukraine before their worlds were turned upside down and they all had to evacuate.
Most of the students and their families landed in Poland, where they continued their studies via zoom.
My friend, Anne Hinds Dirilgen, an incredible teacher and artist, fled to North Carolina, (with her husband and two daughters), where her mother resides.
With limited resources (let alone art supplies), her students found themselves feeling emotions of sadness, fear, despair, and a lack of artistic motivation. Yet, they had to find a way to move forward in their lives and in their art studies.
Without knowing anything about these students, I used my cards to connect to SOURCE and request that each of them hear what they most needed to in order to shift their energy in some way.
It was very touching to see each of them open up to the messages, relate the cards to their current feelings and unique situations, and find an opening for their artistic expression.
One of the parents later thanked Anne for this session, commenting that she didn’t know how to help her daughter get un-stuck and find her inspiration again after fleeing Ukraine. She expressed that this experience cracked her open and she looked forward to creating a piece to reflect her Tarot message and her personal experience.
JUST WOW.
So, without further ado, here are their pieces and some select commentary.
I invite you to celebrate their Tarot Art, knowing that there is no one way to heal.
If we remain open, we just never know what can help us bring light to our darkness.
I had never done a work of art like this before so it was challenging but overall very enjoyable. I think I’ll start doing more dream-like and abstract art like this in the future. ~Ana
This piece of art was created during one of the worst periods of time in my entire life. The dark colors were used to represent the pain in regard to facing the unknown, however they had also reflected my state of mind and mood while making this art. The meaning of this artwork is just to present that it is okay to fear the unknown which everyone inevitably faces at one or another point in their lives, however there is more meaning to it. The main figure in the picture, the one that is sitting down, is generally supposed to be me. The situation pictured was meant to be represented in the saddest way possible, which I think I had done well. The tarot card reading did say that, generally speaking, it will be okay, and I will make it, however instead of picturing that, I decided to picture the real emotions the figure is feeling right now. ~Mariana
For this assignment, I received two tarot cards which represented slowing down and not putting so much pressure on myself. Hence, my artistic intention was to resemble peace and slow growth of a tree. Through this I could show the process of slowing down in life and living in the present moment. In addition, the tree grows through a human face, which is a symbol of myself. For me nature is the most essential part of a calm and restful place. Therefore, my first thought that came to mind when I was told these tarot cards made me believe that I must include a tree within my work. ~Maya
For my tarot card reading I got told that I need to find a sanctuary be it in nature, in my own house, or somewhere where I would feel at peace and happy. The option of nature appealed to me, back in Ukraine my house would be located next to the woods and my backyard would always have flowers blooming this time of year. To me that felt like my sanctuary so I decided to use oil paints to paint myself surrounded by nature and flowers. It was my first time painting a realistic portrait and first time using oil paints in a very long time. ~Tina
Thanks for reading this post and giving this beautiful art some of your energy and attention!
I hope you’ll join me in silently sending some love–from your heart to the hearts of these students and their families who have been displaced. We are all one, and positive thoughts, prayer and energy is always received whether we know it or not.
Love and Light Sisters & Brothers…
Monique
The Comments
Anne
Beautiful. Thanks for coming to class and thanks for sharing.
Monique
AnneYou’re so welcome my dear friend! Thanks for doing what you do for all of your very lucky art students. <3
Anonymous
That’s amazing, awesomeness Job mo … being stuck sucks and to help unstuck people is really such a special gift … proud of u