The Beginning
Blog Post #1
As a child, I was intrigued by the pysanky tradition my Ukrainian grandmother dearly loved. I learned early on how beeswax and colorful dyes could turn a plain white egg into an object of beauty. Throughout my youth, family stories and discussions, books and articles expanded my understanding of Ukrainian culture and folklore. However, they did not fully explain why words like God, symbol, prayer, wealth, talisman and writing were associated with pysanky.
As I grew older, I found myself on a spiritual path, based on the ageless principles of all true religions, which centers on communing with God in meditation. My spiritual practice and the art of pysanky were separate entities until the unexpected death of my mother. Sadness consumed me for months without relief. Seeking comfort in the familiar, I started creating a pysanka. Intent on making the lines straight, the design balanced, I relaxed into an inner awareness in which I noticed the sadness vanishing – a joyful love was filling the void! That moment, more than twenty years ago, created in me a desire to explore more deeply the spiritual aspect of pysanky. My continual practice of what this ancient folk art suggests – write, ask God's help – has revealed that its talismanic power is the result of a personally meaningful relationship with God.
Copyright © 2017 Nancy Kopack.
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