Superstition

crow linocut and collage, 9x12


Did you get to see the full moon eclipse recently? I and my partner went out for a long walk and viewed it for over an hour. I was mesmerized by it's color and beauty.

The next day I came across a facebook post about a pregnant mother who had pinned a safety pin to her blouse to protect her baby.

It reminded me of the story my hispanic mother often told me: She she was pregnant with my sister and she forgot to wear her house keys around her pregnant belly during a full moon eclipse. She looked out to view the lunar eclipse forgetting that she was not wearing her keys to protect her unborn baby. My sister was born with a split upper lip which healed just fine with no trace of it ever being split. My mother was a loving person who did so much for her children. I always felt frustrated that I could not ease her regret felt bad for looking at the lunar eclipse as she believed viewing the eclipse without wearing her keys was the cause. My mother was a loving person who did so much for her children. I always felt frustrated that I could not ease her regret.

I grew up hearing other stories from aunts and uncles ranging from mal de ojo (evil eye) to the infamous la llorona (similar to the boogie man).

I never believed any of these stories yet they fascinated me. I also never thought of myself as being superstitious, but I am. The art tutorial for my hands painting was about my conflict between reality and superstition. One hand reaches for something while the other hand pulls it away.

Despite my knowing my superstitions are baseless, I can't help but follow through on them. I need to wish on that falling star, knock on wood, make a wish when my pendant and clasp meet. It's mostly harmless, and I find I am knocking on wood less often now, but I think I'll always wish on a falling star.




crow linocut with full moon in my etsy shop


joining sunday sketches

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