Zlata Baba

Zlata Baba, the Golden Hag of Slavic myth: she is sublime in her embodiment of the terrifying and brilliant aspects of Life. At times, she is blinding like tree splitting lighting, at other times, she is a subtle shimmer that allows a glimpse of subtle forms. Zlata Baba is an oracle. She guides our hand in transforming the skills for survival into artful craft.

Zlata Baba weaves connections between the human world and the cyclic ways of the natural world. As we receive the benefits of her wisdom, she must be honored with gifts. In this agreement lies one of her biggest teachings- reciprocity and balance. Give and receive, borrow and return, is the aerated flow of Life.

I evoke Zlata Baba to show me the way. She is the guarding and guiding deity of the work I do. As a Baba, she inhabits benevolent and malevolent forms. Her double, contrasting, balancing nature is much like the dynamic of healing and dis-ease, poison and medicine. Zlata Baba illuminates paradox, not to solve it, but to learn from it.