Pop Shamanism
Medusa in the traditional Greek sense was quite a different character than her origins from whence she came.
Medusa, the terrifying Gorgon that Perseus defeated, was once the resplendent Bird and Snake Goddess of the people that inhabited those regions generations before. the Bird and Snake Goddess was an aspect of the Kosmic Mother Goddess that emphasized her powers of regeneration, death and rebirth that were also intrinsic to the earth based matriarchal religion that they followed. It has been noted that Perseus' defeat of the female monster was also symbolic of the male dominating the female in greek culture, patriarchy taking over matriarchy which is the system we have subscribed to pretty much since then. Here in this painting, which is also a self portrait, she is restored to her original glory, taking her throne amongst the Kosmic deities as she is flanked by her totem creatures that both embody her as well as carry out her subtle bidding here in our reality.
