(30” x 24”) Oil on canvas 2019

This painting portrays the moment of initiation, the state between who one has been and who one is becoming. The young woman in the center is draped in a brown robe and is holding a lit candle against a dark background. Its flame represents the inner light guiding the seeker through uncertainty and the shadow parts of ourselves.

The human skulls near her feet symbolize the death of the former self. They represent the necessary dissolution of outdated identities, illusions, and conditioning that occur during an awakening or initiation process. It’s a symbolic shedding, an egoic ending that holds space for rebirth and spiritual maturation.

An angelic being is featured above her head with her hands resting upon the woman’s shoulders. This divine being is both a guardian and a reflection of the woman’s Higher Self. An entity of divine guidance, inner knowing, and spiritual protection. The angel’s wings shimmer with pixie dust, symbolizing magic and the unseen entities that assist those who walk the path. Overall, her golden aura conveys enchantment and alignment with higher realms of consciousness.

The angel's crown contains the Latin phrase Nosce te ipsum, translated as “Know thyself.” This ancient maxim calls one to look inward, emphasizing deep introspection as the foundation of true awakening. Self-knowledge is an ongoing, lifelong process rather than a final destination. One does not arrive at truth once and remain unchanged. Rather, the self is continuously refined and reborn.

This piece is a visual distillation of the Great Work, understood in esoteric tradition as the alchemical process of inner transformation. The road to self-realization demands both courage and a need to surrender. It reduces the initiation process to its core, where we are always being guided and enlightenment comes only after a descent into the underworld.