Since the dawn of time, humanity has sought to understand the connection between heaven and earth, cosmos and humankind. Wisdom has always been conveyed visually through symbols and forms that often prove to have universal significance and are frequently linked to an esoteric language. This language speaks to us in various ways, reaching multiple layers of consciousness and the subconscious. We project it into our own reality, allowing it to shape our understanding of the world. Our understanding evolves as our own experiences grow, the world around us becomes smaller, and our relationship with what is greater than ourselves becomes clearer.

 

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

 

Wikipedia states: A pilgrim is a person who prepares or undertakes a journey for spiritual reasons. The pilgrimage is known in several religions, and the usage of the term has been expanded, so that someone traveling to a place that is very important to them can be called a pilgrim, even if it is not religion that lies behind it. The pilgrim often seeks spiritual purification or to come closer to the divine, but there are also many other reasons for traveling. In the Middle Ages, it also took on the meaning of "a person who wanders from place to place."

 

The world is rapidly changing, boundaries are shifting, and we need a universal understanding of what it means to be human. An understanding of who we are and what role we play in the great web of the world, across religions, cultures, skin colors, and languages. This quest for an understanding of being human on earth has always been a part of my life and my expression and is constantly evolving. I wish to share my experiences and insights with the world through art.

 

After many years as a textile and knitting designer, it was natural for me to choose the forms of expression and materials I have immersed myself in. Leftover yarn from my life as a designer has been used as the foundation for the project. My own understanding and life experiences after many years of work as a coach and life guide and spiritual seeker have inspired the choice of colors and design.

 

The point, the circle, spirals, and lines are ancient, universal symbols found in all cultures. From the point springs all creation. From there, we can draw lines and create endless forms and figures, which can again be drawn in the directions one desires, and further intertwined in the infinite. The circle represents all and nothing, beginning and end, creation, the cycle, and the life course. In "The Wheel of Life," the point, the line (thread), and the circle are all central expressions. Along the way in my work, the snake emerged. The snake, as a symbol, exists in most cultures, and I have encountered it time and again in my inner work.

 

The snake represents life force and fertility, life and death. The duality of good and evil, the one who tempts and frightens. The snake also carries wisdom. In Ouroborus, the snake that bites its own tail, we see a symbol of wholeness, the circle. Additionally, the snake eats itself, nourishes itself, while shedding its skin, its ego, layer by layer. This occurs as an endless 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, vibrate, activate, and touch, regardless of age, cultural background, and standpoint.

 

We are in a time focused on pilgrimages; people from all over the world travel to Jerusalem, Mecca, Santiago de Compostela, Varanasi, and Lourdes. Even in Norway and Sweden, people embark on journeys—in contemplation, in the landscape, and within themselves.

 

In the summer of 2021, I began a new pilgrimage by moving to Tuscany in Italy, an outer and inner pilgrimage that will likely continue for the rest of my life. The wheels came with me to Italy after being packed away for several years, and I now look at them with new eyes. In the wheels, I can reflect on myself, and I see that I have moved forward since they were exhibited at Hadeland Glassværk in 2017. New insights must be implemented, and the wheels will now be exhibited in the garden of Villa Rosita. Feel free to follow our blog, www.villarosita.net.