Magdalena:On:line
Bodies:On: Live
Performed Live on 25th June 2021
Prayer of Shaman –Invoking healing goddess is performance, shamanistic ritual act. It is to establish an image of the pandemic goddess who is a healer. Performer attempted to embody the body through a ritual turning into the Goddess of Pandemic. The performer's body facilitates transmuting the message to her and in the process becoming Goddess herself.
I carried on my head the image of the goddess which was a 'Mirror' that would reflect the image of the audience who is interacting with the goddess and there the transformation happens where the audience expects to see the image of a goddess instead they see their own reflection. here the audience takes the position of the goddess and I think everyone has the ability to achieve that state of sacredness and I facilitate to make it visible to my audiences.
The healing happens through various herbal healing plants. The performance deals with my audience through online interaction it will have an impact since every individual has their own psychological and emotional and physical concerns. My work is to build and inspired by the goddess image from my cultural roots but not directly portray it just hinting at my connection. Seeing pandemics from the past one and half years and the critical situations in India I feel like recreating this act again with one more version. This performance was cathartic and transforming not only to the audience but also to me as a performer.
'Nature is a healer' forms a very integral part of my performance and I used natural alchemical and medicinal plants Sacred Plants which are curative and have a lot of health benefits like Ajwain, ajowan, or Trachyspermum Ammi—also known as ajowan caraway, thymol seeds, bishop's weed, or carom, Neem Leaves, (Tulsi) Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), Kama Kasturi l ( Ocimum basilicum). Tumbe plant (Leucas Aspera) and as part of invocation ritual I sowed Seven Scared grains for goddesses. These grains constitute Goddess's. It is an offering to evoke her to invite her to our ritual. Prayer was offered to form a secret exchange in form of voice modulations. It was an experiential to both me and my audience a kind of spiritual and healing journey.
In my performance, I had incorporated symbolic object which can metaphorically represent the goddess image but not a religious symbols. It is an artistic exploration to fight this pandemic, to experience catharsis, and create a healing space where both audience and myself can undergo transformation. I shared a recipe to prepare a tea portion that has medicinal benefits and heals. Dimple B Shah 11 May 2021 Please note it was a different version from the earlier created work.
Dimple B Shah 25th June 2021
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