Wheels of Life - a pilgrimage to inner wisdom

From the dawn of time, man has sought to understand the connection between heaven and earth, the cosmos and man. Wisdom has always been conveyed visually through symbols and forms that have often been shown to have a universal meaning and are often linked to an esoteric language. This language speaks to us in different ways, to several layers of consciousness and the subconscious. We transfer it into our own reality, and let it become our understanding of the world. Understanding changes as our own experience grows, the world around us becomes smaller, and the relationship to that which is greater than ourselves becomes clearer.

There are many ways to get in touch with the understanding itself and in one's own life. It is in itself, a personal inner pilgrimage. The road is
individual, the same is the goal, if there is a goal. I am on my pilgrimage, and with my experiences and insights came the inspiration for "The Wheel of Life".

Wikipedia says: A pilgrim is a person who prepares or makes a journey for spiritual reasons. Pilgrimage is known from several religions and the use of the term has been expanded, so that someone who travels to a place that is very important to him can be called a pilgrim, even if it is not religion that is behind it. The pilgrim often seeks spiritual purification or getting closer to the divine, but there are many other reasons to travel. In the Middle Ages, it also took on the meaning "a person who walks from place to place".

The world is changing rapidly, boundaries are shifting and we need a universal understanding of being human. An understanding of who we are and what role we have in the great web of the world. This across religions, cultures, skin color and language. This quest, for an understanding of being human on earth, has always been a part of my life and my expression. I want to share my experience and my insights with the world through art.

After many years as a textile and knitting designer, it was natural for me to choose the form of expression and materials that I have immersed myself in. Crochet, knitting and embroidery have been considered women's occupations, but previously this subject was on a par with other crafts. Residual yarn from my life as a designer is used as a starting point for the project. My own understanding and life experience after many years of work as a Coach and life counselor has provided inspiration for color choices and design.

The point, circle, spirals and lines are ancient symbols of all ages
cultures. All creation springs from the point. From there we can draw lines and create infinite shapes and figures, which in turn can be drawn in the directions we want, and further intertwined in the infinite. The circle represents everything and nothing, beginning and end, creation, the cycle and the course of life. In "The Wheel of Life", the point, the line (the thread) and the circle are all
key expressions. During the work, the snake appeared. The snake, as a symbol, is found in most cultures, and I myself have encountered it, time and time again in my inner work.

The serpent represents life force and fertility, life and death. The duality of good and evil, the one that tempts and frightens. The serpent also carries with it wisdom. In Ouroborus, the snake that bites itself in the tail, we see a symbol of the whole, the circle. In addition, the snake eats itself, nourishes itself, while it throws the skin, the ego, layer by layer. This is going on as an infinite process, in eternal renewal and rebirth.

In addition to the symbols, colors play an essential role. The strong colors become a visual language. Colors that speak, that vibrate, activate and touch, regardless of age, cultural origin and point of view.

We are in a time of focus on pilgrimages, people from all over the world travel to Jerusalem, Mecca, Santiago de Compostela, Varanasi and Lourdes. Even in Norway and Sweden you go hiking; - in contemplation, in the landscape and in itself


Kari Hestnes