“Shiva Crowned”

This is the third painting in the “Spiritual Quartet” 2020. Towards the end of the painting, I was undecided whether to put the birds in.  What a difference in space it made when they did fly onto the canvas!

Shiva’s consort, Shakti is now on Shiva’s head. She is his crowning glory. Shakti, the feminine principle rises from the deepest ground of being, the earth and moves upwards through the subtle or energy body, to the heart, where Shiva, the male principle resides.  Shiva cannot “go to God” unless Shakti takes him by the hand.  She leads him to the top – the crown,  the heavens, the place where all light abides, and she with eyes open, present and alert, and he, Shiva, with eyes closed, in Satchitananda – truth – sat, chit – consciousness, – bliss/joy – ananda. The perfect and equal balance of the female and male, the yin and the yang.