{"id":238,"date":"2010-04-18T14:52:00","date_gmt":"2010-04-18T19:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edgeonedev.com\/aprilsblog\/?p=238"},"modified":"2023-11-25T13:09:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-25T18:09:58","slug":"spider-woman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/?p=238","title":{"rendered":"Spider Woman"},"content":{"rendered":"

After many encounters with spiders in my temporary housing in Ashland, Oregon, a brother, Kevin, suggested that I look at my fear as a source of power.  My interest in weaving and love of the Southwest combined in my search for the seat of Spider Woman’s power.<\/p>\n

Over the last 4 years, the interest in Navajo weaving has come up again and again.  Two years ago I tried to enroll in Sarah Natani’s weaving course at Table Mesa, New Mexico.  The course was filled.  Meanwhile, I met Kathy at Llamas and Llambs in Jacksonville, Oregon.<\/p>\n

Kathy recommended two books, Spider Woman: A Story of Navajo Weavers and Chanters<\/em> by Gladys A. Reichard and Navajo Weaving Way: The Path from Fleece to Rug <\/em>by Noel Bennett and Tiana Bighorse.  I purchased Navajo Weaving Way as it was readily available.  Also the video set, Navajo Weaving:  Sharing the Technique and Tradition<\/em> by Angie Walker Maloney (assisted by Susanne Clark) which I found at Webster’s Yarn in Ashland, Oregon.<\/p>\n

A friend gave me a loom and when I went to pick it up where it was stored, I was fortunate to met, Audrey Moore who helped found the Damascus Pioneer School which is now Damascus Fiber Arts School.  Her weaving which included the spider woman image, inspired me.<\/p>\n

When considering my move back to Portland, I thought surely I would go straight to the Damascus Fiber Arts center to register for a class.  Surely this will happen, meanwhile, while visiting Llamas and Llambs, Kathy mentioned that she had had a visitor who had information about a class being organized in Carlton, Oregon featuring Sarah Natani.  Kathy had some serendipitous events going on herself as her original Navajo Weaving teacher had just come through the store.<\/p>\n

Kathy sent me the email of information for the Carlton class organized by Lora Pirtle Rinke.  Lora answered immediately through facebook that there was indeed room in the class in Carlton.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, I contacted Kathy Burnham who was organizing the class with Sarah Natani on the reservation and she said, “yes there is room”.<\/p>\n

So in the course of two days, I had signed up for two classes.  Lora had posted that it would be possible to get hand carved forks and battens from Al Snipes.  He responded to my e-mail that he didn’t do retail but would make a batten as part of a batch he was sending out and mail it to me.\u00c2  He followed up with a phone call.<\/p>\n

At this moment, I was charmed by the community surrounding Navajo Weaving.  This kind of care in providing a weaving tool seemed way out of the ordinary.  I have since received my batten that has a smooth, pleasing touch.  Beautifully crafted.<\/p>\n

\"al-snipes-batten1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Over lunch, I read Spider Woman a bit a day, having now finished the book, I marvel at the intelligence and unique quality of the writing of Gladys A. Reichard. I had previously read her book, Navajo Religion<\/em>. This book provided my first glimpse into the complexities of the Navajo way of life, a complexity and commitment to cosmology that Ms. Reichard suggested lead to the survival and flourishing of the Navajo as a people.  Impressive.  Intriguing.<\/p>\n

Cosmology was a challenge question presented to a small group of practicing masters of the Usui System of Natural healing.  The question was, do you have to know your cosmology?  Is it important. Yes, it seems that it is.<\/p>\n

Without digressing, that question has lead me to this moment. Where lies Spider Woman in my cosmology and what is it that I need to know here?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After many encounters with spiders in my temporary housing in Ashland, Oregon, a brother, Kevin, suggested that I look at my fear as a source of power.  My interest in weaving and love of the Southwest combined in my search for the seat of Spider Woman’s power. Over the last 4 years, the interest in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,9],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=238"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1363,"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/238\/revisions\/1363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=238"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=238"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.aprilponders.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=238"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}