A drawing finally completed: Circe with Sisters!

July 2, 2018: Now that my eyesight is greatly improved to its former goodness after two surgeries (right and left), I'm happily at my drafting table again! Actually, the title of the drawing below is, Circe, Charybdis, and Thelma although which sister is which is a challenge only you, dear viewer, can figure out! What say you?

For more Jude Cowell Art images, you're cordially invited to browse my Fine Art America portfolio open for viewing 24/7! Now here are two...

Mythological Links of Interest--plus, Thelma:

The Spellbinding Story of Circe, Goddess of Magic (pronounced kir' kee, y'know).

Who Is Charybdis?

And then there's Thelma, a name which may or may not derive from 'will' or 'volition' for it does sound much like the arrogant Thelema philosophy developed by freaky devil-worshiper Aleister Crowley (1875--1947).

But never fret for no devils ever lurk in any of my drawings!

Ceres and Pallas, an artist's view

Ceres and Pallas, a pencil drawing by Jude Cowell.

Venus Rising by Jude Cowell; update: Venusian Washington DC

Venus Rising by jude cowell (c) 2008

Update June 10, 2015: Venus, Politics, Presidents, Astrology, Zodiacs, and Washington DC

by Jude Cowell

How curious that I posted Venus Rising in 2008 since I discovered only recently that April 6, 2008 is what some call the first day of the current Venus Cycle. So considering the 8-year cycle of planet #Venus there is hidden significance in America's 2016 Election/s because 2008 + 8 = 2016. And let us not leave out our Founding Fathers' preference for a goddess-worshiping mystery religion. If a woman is elected president in 2016, we will have uplifted once again matriarchal rule after centuries of paternalism.

Although political conservatives and Evangelicals in the US prefer to call them 'Christians', Franklin, Washington, Jefferson, and our other Utopian founders are usually listed as 'Deists' and most people are aware of their secret society connections such as Freemasonry, Illuminism, and Rosicrucianism. Yet the feminine statues and engravings that decorate the city of Washington DC (ex: the Armed Freedom statue on the Capitol Dome, the stars of constellation Virgo so prominent during early Masonic cornerstone layings of DC buildings and highlighted within DC's many Zodiacs and horoscopes) with their Great Mother-Isis-Semiramis-Mary and Virgo/Ceres/Demeter symbolism relates directly to goddess and archetype, Venus, the beautiful and the vengeful.

Of course, Venus is the consort of our country's official and obvious phallic symbol, the Washington Monument which is dedicated to the "Father of Our Country", sterile though George seems to have been (probably due to one of his several childhood diseases. Additionally, George descended from a Star Family of Enochian priests which is one reason his contemporaries idolized him so highly as a cult leader and by other of his brethren immortalized Washington in statue as 'Jupiter-Zeus' and as a transcendent being (ex: the famous painting of his apotheosis into godhood...Enoch translated to heaven? puh!)

Now as you know, a 5-pointed star is a symbol of Venus, too (5 x 8 = 40.) Stars appear on the Washington family crest which was a template for the design of the US flag. And with a few unavoidable exceptions (assassination, resignation), our US presidential inaugurations every 4 years are held based on the Venus Cycle for as you know, much value is typically attached to the concept of a two-term presidential residency (2 x 4 = 8) of the Oval Office, its shape a shout-out to the Cosmic Egg and the fertility of goddess Venus. Plus, have you ever heard Washington DC called the "New Jerusalem"? This is an intriguing Venusian link as well because the word 'Jerusalem' means "place of Venus rising," a good place for the observation of planet Venus at certain times of the year.

And no, yours truly knew very little of these concepts when I visualized, then perpetrated, the above drawing of Venus Rising! jc

Pleiades Sisters: a portrait

Pleiades Sisters, a drawing by jude cowell (c) 2008.

Yes, it's true that Secret Moon Art is not usually where I publish figure studies unless they have starry connections.

So here's a photo of the Pleiades, the most auspicious and identifiable Taurean star cluster of all, the mythology of which appears in many cultures as a hen with chicks, a flock of doves, and for my drawing purposes, The Seven Sisters.

Which is which? You decide: it's Sterope, Merope, Electra, Maia, Taygete, Celaeno, and Alcyone, the daughters of Atlas and Pleione, as represented in whimsical human form by your artist of the evening, Jude Cowell.

And tonight is Earth Hour from 8:00 to 9:00 pm, if it hasn't come to your time zone already...it will be a good chance to view the stars without the usual light polution and save some wattage simultaneously!

Trail to the Moon

Trail to the Moon, drawing by jude cowell (c) secret moon art 2008 Use only by express permission of artist

Lady Unmasking: in time for Feb 7 '08 Eclipse

Lady Unmasking is drawn and published in honor of the Feb 7, 2008 Solar Eclipse in the 10 North Series.

Keyphrases for this Series which last manifested on Jan 26, 1990 (so similar issues may resurface from that time period) are:

strong emphasis on communications; frustrating or inhibiting events occur relating to news, paperwork, or a young person; a draining of energy--take things quietly for there's an element of fatigue with this Series. (Brady's Predictive Astrology.)

Yes, Lady Unmasking is a bit of a departure for Secret Moon Art, for my figure studies and mask-related images are usually published at Cosmic Persona Designs with Children's, Botanical, and Fairy Art published here at SMA.

Plus, I hope you don't mind a smidge of Astrology with your Art today! I have sashayed into Astrology here before--it is Secret Moon Art, after all.

Why "Unmasking"? The reason some folk call this the Unmasking Eclipse is because it falls at "18Aquarius" and the Sabian Symbol for that degree is "A Man Unmasked."

This speaks of a man's secret motives being revealed due to the impossibility of keeping one's true motives hidden forever...and '18AQ' is the opposite degree of Venus' position on 9/11/01.

Venus' degree on 9/11 was same as the Sun/Moon degree of the August 11, 1999 Solar Eclipse...aka the King of Alarm Eclipse which set the tone for the New Millennium. Sour note so far, right?

Nostradamus' description of this difficult Eclipse related primarily to monetary issues and we know that the attacks of 9/11 were aimed to decimate our financial system.

Yet even Washington DC may fall prey to the influence of the Feb 7 Eclipse, for they have the most secret motives of all...and the most to gain by keeping things out of sight.

To read more on Washington and its starry doings, visit Stars Over Washington and for a blend of stars, politics, Art, and the occasional lapse into poetry, drop by Jude's Threshold where you'll find an article in the blog's Sidebar with more details on the King of Alarm Eclipse of August 11, 1999.