ON UNITY & PRAYER OFFERINGS

Over the past few years, I’ve been more and more intrigued and attracted by ritual objects around the world, and how they serve to create an intentional bridge between body and spirit. As my own connection to ritual and ceremony has grown, so has my artistic journey. It is that connection to the divine, to the Elements, to source, that continues to inspire me and guide my work. 

At first, this became apparent in the symbolism that occurred in my paintings. Along the way, when I began working with clay, it only made sense to create objects intended for ritual. The clay in itself had pretty much asked this of me, because it wan’t just any clay: it is a magical earth that is sourced here on the island, pulsing with the same energy that has fed and inspired all of the many ancient civilisations that used to inhabit this powerful place. Whenever I work with this clay, I am inherently in ceremony and in deep reverence of this powerful material that is in my hands. It is since working with clay and working with earth (not just for vessels but also for pigments and paint), that I feel this deep sense of co-creation with that Element in everything that I do.

Little by little, my journey in the art of ritual took me to look closer to Home and closer to Now. In what ways is the art of ritual still very present around me, in this moment, right where I am? And so something unexpected happened… I slowly started to shift my attention to the sacred spaces that churches represent here in Greece. Like many people of my generation, I have not felt a particularly positive connection to the church. And although it was an important part of my grandfather and grandparent’s faith, the meaning of it was dissolved and associated with trauma for the generations following. I would rarely visit a church, and every time I would so, I would feel a sense of discomfort and claustrophobia.

And yet recently I realised something changed there for me recently. Something changed since I have moved here and started communing with my roots, with Nature. Since I started working with Earth and started implementing the Elements to my life. Since I started showing an interest to the ways of my ancestors. Not just those of my grandparents, but the ways of those related to ALL of us, far away in the weave of time. The people whose faith actually inspired all of the faiths. Whose stories were at the beginning of this massive tapestry. In a tapestry, like all tapestries - one cannot pretend any thread is separate from another. All threads are connected, creating unity. 

We would only be lying to ourselves if we were told otherwise. Sadly, this has happened, and we became divided in many ways. But when we know the Truth, we know what connects us. So we can step into a church, into a temple, into any sacred space and just feel what is there. Making our way back into unity. Why is the energy so special in these places? Why are we drawn to be in awe, in silence, in contemplation? Because ritual and invocation are truly that powerful, and connect us to the divine since the dawn of time.

Over the past few months, I have been visiting churches more and more. Just allowing myself to feel the energy in these places. The energy of faith and devotion, of creating a bridge to the above, a connection with God, the Cosmos, the Source, whatever we wish to call it. Churches here are architectural marvels of arched walls, crackled lime plaster and frescoes. Sometimes they are built inside caves. They are also a feast for the senses, offering a perfect echo to sing and hum in. A subtle remainder of incense floating in the air. An abundance of divine art and objects devoted to ritual and prayer. From the humble candles made of beeswax, to the paintings of the Saints, painted with earth pigments and covered in gold foil. And then, of course, the art of the Tama.

Tamata Offerings. Traditionally made of metal sheets.

Some ancient versions of Tamata, made of clay.

The Tamata (plural term for Tama) are peculiar objects, and are often hung together in a specific place in the church. They are beautiful artworks, created solely to be offered in prayer. An offering to the divine, a way to pray and ask for what we desire in our lives. Traditionally a Tama is made of metal, like a silver or brass sheet, and display different imagery according to what we wish to ask help with: better health, Love, money, fertility. Often times they also represent body parts that we wish to heal: a foot, a leg, the eyes, the heart…

Tamas have been made for a very, very long time. They have been at the heart of our culture and worship for thousands of years, long before the rise of Christianity. The most ancient Tamas were made of clay and were found in Minoan sites. It is magical to imagine our ancestors, eons ago, shaping hands, hearts, bodies, symbols as a way communicate with the divine. The craft of the Tama has evolved with time, has changed in material and context. Its making has been declining, as people have lost an interest in the art and the ritual in our modern society - but its essence and purpose stays immortal for those who still feel called to use them.

I felt such an awe for this object and such a connection to its purpose, I allowed it to inspire me and flow into my artistic process. With time, this shaped a new kind of creation. One that brought me back in time, to the times of my ancestors. I created Tamata, from the gorgeous cretan clay which has been my muse and teacher. They manifested into existence, one piece after the next, coming to life in earth painted symbols. Each of them carrying its own message, its own divination, bridging the gap between Earth and Cosmos. Carrying the potent energy of this land and all our interwoven stories of connecting to the divine.

I invite you to explore these pieces in my recent shop update. To first view them with the eyes of your Heart, to see what pieces speak to you.
Perhaps, allow them to become a living part of your own rituals. An element in your own prayers.

xx

Linda Pappa