Ellen Hofrath Hi, I´m Ellen, an artist, based in Berlin, Germany. I feel honored to talk to you frequently, about life in general, things that I´m just dealing with. I offer you the view of an artist. In the best case, I can inspire you, but I`m also fine to share just a few moments of chit-chat with you.
My slogan or mantra is: There is never enough color. Color means for me: taste, smell, sound, music, any sensation that brightens up your life, brings you in touch with your higher self or even gives you the little extra push you need. Feel free to contact me, no matter if you are interested in a painting or if you want to share your point of view. So, let’s see, what´s going on in December? I love to feel and experience the seasons and I love the weather. Sounds strange? Wind ripping on my clothes, raising my face in the pouring rain, the ozone-scent after a thunderstorm, I love and enjoy them all equally. This is “color” for me too. Fortunately here in Berlin, it’s really cold right now. It´s freezing at night. When I go to work it is very early and it feels like walking through clouds. The ground is hidden under sparkling fog and bushes and grass are covered with a thin layer of ice. It bites in my skin and it makes me feel vibrant and full of energy. As my kids are adults, Christmas doesn´t mean that much to me anymore. But I love the rituals for the season. Germans have a lot of really old rituals, they last for hundreds and thousands of years. My favorite at this time comes from the druids in the Middle Ages or even their ancestors. The “Rauhnaechte” names the 12 nights that are left when you count the difference between the calendar year (365) and the moon circles (354). They are therefore seen as “out of time”. “Rauh” means rough, but also the early morning mist after cold nights. It’s a time of validating the months and sensations that lay behind, finding closure, and preparing for the things to come. The first night is St. Thomas (September 21), the last night is Epiphany (January 6). Before you go into the rituals you have to prepare yourself: pay open bills, give back borrowed things, clean your house, say thank you to people who helped you out during the year, prepare a journal and incense, like sage, prepare a nice place outside, where you put food for the animals. If you are into oracles, this is a great time, as the veils between the worlds are thinner than ever. There are plenty of omens and signs, specifically for this time, from weather forecasts to love and money forecasts. I do a lot of meditations now, have a dream diary, journal about the questions that are recommended for this time. I write down my intentions, where to go, what to leave behind, shadow-work, and love to sit outside and burn them in a small fire pit. Again the contrast from the icy night and the warming fire. I speak my wishes into existence and apologize for what I could have done better. Every night I take a piece of paper, decorate it, draw something, and write down a wish for the upcoming year. I collect all 12 in a crystal bowl. On the last night, I enlight a fire again and sacrifice some goods like orange peel, lavender, sage, and else. Then I burn my wishes one by one, telling how grateful I am for the love, support, and guidance of my spirits and ancestors. As closure I let those nights pass. I light a candle, read my notes and journals. What happened, how did I experience this time, what kept me busy? Any returning questions or issues? Repeating dreams? Then I meditate to find out how I feel if I could finish everything if I need to do shadow-work. In the end, I try to name a color, that matches this retrospective, as this might be the mood for the next weeks. When all this is done, I feel refreshed and at peace. As cleansing and smoking is an important part of the rituals and meditations, here some information, what to use: Sage: Energetic cleaning Camphor: Deletes old information (if you move into a new house, after an intense argument) Angelica root and Thyme: Raise vibrations Myrrh and Myrtle: cleanses and brings clarity, brings peace. Also good after recovering from a disease. Sandalwood: Focuses and calms your mind Below are images from my collection: Natalie chose this one - Her favorite Blue You may reach Ellen at : bunteinspirationen@gmail.com on Instagram: ellenberlin1
Bio: Ellen Hofrath-Stovall was born in 1965 She is living in Berlin/Germany 2 Daughters, 3 grandchildren single Painting since 2012, self-educated several exhibitions in cafes and restaurants Reproduction of all or any part of material of Ellen Hofrath©, including previous posts, without the express written permission from Planet Starz, Inc. is strictly forbidden. **Note from Natalie: Ellen is someone I discovered on Instagram and immediately we became friends. I thought what a nice addition to the ezine this would be to have a column for her. Enjoy her work every month here at Mystic Living Today** Believe........ Love, Natalie |
Copyright © 1998 - 2024 Mystic Living Today All rights, including copyright, in the content of these Mystic Living Today web pages are owned or controlled for these purposes by Planet Starz, Inc. Terms of Service Disclaimer and Legal Information For questions or comment, contact Starzcast@mysticlivingtoday.com. Reproduction of this page in any form is not allowed without permission of the author and the owner of this site. All material on this web site, including text, photographs, graphics, code and/or software, are protected by international copyright and trademark laws. Unauthorized use is not permitted. You may not modify, copy, reproduce, republish, upload, post, transmit or distribute, in any manner, the material on this web site. Unless permissions is granted. If you have any questions or problems regarding this site, please e-mail Webmaster. Web site design by: Creative Net FX |