A celebration of the turning world, conjured into being with meticulous detail, dot by dot.
5x7” pen and ink on archival paper

Lore

Belladonna - beautiful lady. The name for this deadly member of the Solanaceae family has a few origin stories. One the one hand, an ancient superstition suggests that she shape-shifts into a woman too beautiful to look upon. A more common origin story comes from the old Italian practice of using deadly nightshade cosmetically to enlarge the pupils of women and enhance their beauty. It has also been used in love spells, and was once rumored to be a key ingredient in witches’ flying ointment.

The archetypal power of this plant comes from its association with the underworld, altered states, sleep, and most of all, Atropos, one of the three greek fates responsible for cutting the threads of life.

Atropos was known as The Inflexible of the three fates, inescapable by mortals. While her sisters spun the thread and measured it, it was she who snipped it off. As the light of day dims and we witness the earth’s descent, we slowly watch the threads of life clipped away. The inevitable cycle continues. Belladonna, much like Datura, helps us recognize the necessity of the darkness to bring the light.