Sunday, August 27, 2017

Gaea

“Gaea” is now available over at my #Society6 Shop: (https://society6.com/thecubanwitch) #sharemysociety6

Gaea (Gaia) or Mother Earth, was the great goddess of the early Greeks. She represented the fertile Earth and was worshiped as the omnipotent Universal Mother. In Greek mythology, she created the universe and gave birth to both the first race of gods, known as the Titans, and the first humans.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Eve

“Eve” is now available over at my #Society6 Shop: (https://society6.com/thecubanwitch) #sharemysociety6

Eve is an important figure in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as she was the first woman created by God. She was created from Adam's rib to be both his wife and companion. Unfortunately, however, she would eventually unwittingly succumb to the Serpent's temptation and eat the forbidden fruit from off the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve shares the fruit with her husband, and as a result, the first humans are cursed and expelled from the Garden of Eden by God forever for their disobedience.

Friday, August 25, 2017

Munchkins

“Munchkins” is now available over at my #CafePress Shop: (http://www.cafepress.com/azodnem/9861224

Munchkins, quite obviously, are the natives of the fictional Munchkin Country in the Oz books written by L. Frank Baum. They first appeared in the 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, in which they are described as being somewhat short of stature, and fond of wearing only blue. Later books never note anything unusual about Munchkin height, but continue to emphasize their obsessive color preference.

Oz Fact: As a result of the popularity of the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz, the word “munchkin” has entered the English language as a reference to small children, dwarfs, or anything of diminutive stature.
.

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Eleggua

“Eleggua” is now available over at my #Society6 Shop: (https://society6.com/thecubanwitch) #sharemysociety6

In Yoruba mythology, Eleggua is the Orisha associated with the crossroads or "opening the ways". Often depicted as a child or a small man, he is a playful trickster and a brilliant strategist amongst the divinities. Worshipers often have a cement head with a metal spike in its top, and cowrie shells for eyes and a mouth, as a representation of Eleggua which receives offerings and bestows protection in return. He is the appropriator of ceremonies. No ceremony should be started without paying tribute to him first. Without Eleggua being acknowledged first, chances are the outcome desired in a ceremony will not come to full fruition.

Starlight Virgo: August 24 ~ September 23


“Starlight Virgo” is now available over at my #Society6 Shop: (https://society6.com/thecubanwitch) #sharemysociety6

Virgo is the only Zodiacal sign almost always represented as female. Regardless of their gender, however, almost all Virgoans possess an observant, patient, shrewd and creative nature.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

The Divas of Egypt

“The Divas of Egypt” is now available over at my #Society6 Shop: (https://society6.com/thecubanwitch) #sharemysociety6

Bast, Isis, and Sekhmet stand united as they watch over and nourish their beloved Egypt.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Chango

“Chango” is now available over at my #Society6 Shop: (https://society6.com/thecubanwitch) #sharemysociety6

Chango is a god of thunder, and the ancestor of the Yoruba people of Nigeria. Chango was envied for his vast magical powers, but was feared because whenever he spoke, fire would shoot forth from out of his mouth. Chango is a son of Yemaya, queen of all the oceans and the mother goddess of the Orishas. He was known to have had three wives: Oya, who fearlessly stole the secrets of Chango's magic in an attempt to save him from his enemies; Oshun, the beautiful river goddess of love, who is his favorite because of her culinary abilities; and Oba, who desperately tried to win his affections by offering her own ear for him to eat.

The Cowardly Lion

“The Cowardly Lion” is now available over at my #CafePress Shop: (http://www.cafepress.com/azodnem/9896694

The Cowardly Lion makes his first appearance in the book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and is the last of the companions Dorothy befriends on her way to the Emerald City. The Cowardly Lion joins her so that he can ask the Wizard for courage, being ashamed that he lacks the bravery to fulfill his cultural role as the King of the Beasts. Despite outward evidence that he is unreasonably fearful, the Cowardly Lion often displays great bravery throughout their journey; he merely fails to understand that true courage means acting in the face of one’s fear.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

The Tin Woodman

“The Tin Woodman” is now available over at my #CafePress Shop: (http://www.cafepress.com/azodnem/9896404

The origins of the Tin Woodman are astonishingly rather gruesome. Originally an ordinary man by the name of Nick Chopper, the Tin Woodman used to make his living chopping down trees in the forests of Oz, as his father had before him. Unfortunately, the Wicked Witch of the East cursed his axe to prevent him from marrying his one true love. The wickedly enchanted axe chopped off his limbs, one by one. But each time he lost a limb, Nick replaced it with a prosthetic one made of tin until there was nothing left of him but the tin replacements. Sadly, the tinsmith who had been helping him neglected to replace his heart. Though far from missing his original existence, the Tin Woodman is actually very proud of his new untiring tin body.

Oz Fact: A recurring problem for the Tin Woodman in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was his tendency to rust when exposed to rain, tears, or other moisture. For this reason, in The Marvelous Land of Oz, published in 1904, the character has himself nickel-plated. Ironically, however, tin does not rust.

Monday, August 7, 2017

The Good Witch

“The Good Witch” is now available over at my #CafePress Shop: (http://www.cafepress.com/azodnem/9857102

L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, refers to Glinda as the Good Witch of the South, and ruler of Quadling Country. Later books will call her a “sorceress” rather than a “witch”. Baum’s writings make it clear that he did not view witches as inherently wicked, so some theorize that this change was meant to signal that Glinda was more powerful than any common witch. Others speculate that he may have simply decided to avoid associating Glinda with any of the negative connotations the word “witch” might have socially carried.

Artist's Personal Note: This lovely good witch’s appearance is an amalgamation, and tribute to several of Glinda’s incarnations and makeovers through the years, including: Baum’s original description of the character, Billie Burke’s appearance in the 1939 MGM film, as well as a nod to the Broadway musical, "Wicked" (blonde hair), based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 revisionist novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.