•perseus.series• 🐋 CETUS • One well known star is variable ‘Mira’ which translates to “wonderful”. The messier spiral galaxy 77 can be found in its realm as well as NGC 246 the Skull nebula (aka Cetus ring, aka pac-man nebula). It is located in part of the sky known as a celestial Sea wherein it is included among other watery constellations: Eridanus, Pisces, & Piscis Austrinus.
Following the storyline of Perseus in Greek mythology Cetus was a sea beast sent to devour Andromeda—she, naked and chained by the waters edge to a stone as sacrifice to appease Poseidon. Her only misdeed was her boastful Queen mother, Cassiopeia. Perseus was on route after acquiring the head of gorgon Medusa when he noticed the lady in distress & using his enchanted tools, liberated her from such fate.
My personal relationship to this pattern is where I acknowledge it in its form as a whale; it is the featured patch from my orca matriarch + calf pastel painting. Therein it was my deep feelings of grief that metaphorically acted as a beast i felt enveloped in. I translated my sorrows by finding meaning in star lights & their varied mythos.
🧁 When I painted my orca whales my intent was to express and hold space for the torment of a mother’s grief. I’ve mourned loss of my first pregnancy & felt such traumatic loss deeply in my immediate family. I identified with the news reports of a west coast mother whale, Tahlequah J35, who swam 1,000 miles with her deceased infant for 17 days.. though I never publicly acknowledged mine nor shared anything of it so raw & brave in display! It birthed joyful optimism to hear the updates on her rainbow calf babe. Wonderful!
