![]() ![]() Here the patriarchs are featured, each pointing to the patriarchal “sky god”, while ignoring the Earth beneath their feet (note the almost invisible ‘boxes’ forming the land – symbolising the narrow restrictions placed upon women under patriarchy). Patriarchy detail from “Women In The Margins” painting by Judy Foster ![]() The Triple Spiral represents the Female Principle – the great Earth Mother – whom not only reaches high into the sky above the great rock formations, but also down deep into Earth’s “Centre”. Triple Spiral, detail from “Women In The Margins” painting by Judy Foster They run from east to west, Atila with a flat top suggesting Womb/birth (?) or a ritual table/sacred ground… Uluru, which when viewed from the air, appears shaped like a great intensely red Heart – the symbolic Heart of this land and Katatjuta with the many ‘heads’ (or Breasts?) suggests intensely female symbolism. Uluru detail from “Women In the Margins”, painting by Judy Foster They are a most powerful symbol representing the Centre of Australia for non-Indigenous people, and they have always been intensely symbolic for Australian Indigenous people. ![]() Although there is some distance between each of them, all three are the remnants of a great mountain range which has been gradually eroding away for millions of years. I have been lucky enough to visit those three wonderful symbolic rock forms to be found in the Centre of Australia, Atila (Mount Connor), an oval flat-top shaped rock form, which is on private land and is strangely ignored yet it is as remarkable in shape and symbolism as the other two rock formations) Uluru, (Ayers Rock), which is probably the best known single rock form and Katatjuta, (The Olgas), a collection of (breast-like) dome-shaped rocks, each relating to the rest. Women In The Margins, painting by Judy Foster Right image: Women often have to struggle against patriarchy (that blank, black wall) in order to be welcomed in… we need to ‘open the door’ in welcome to all those who seek entry. The engraved image on the rock symbolises The Woman of Wisdom, Sophia, (represented by the breast-like spirals) and the womb (the open mouth?). The rock they step over on the way through, with its symbolic engraving, represents that final step. Left image: One of the openings between the rocks is Stanley Chasm (in the McDonnell Ranges near the town of Alice Springs) which suggests the opening ‘gates’ of welcome for those looking forward to the beginning of a new life in Australia. We need to ‘open the door’ in welcome to all those who seek entry as in the painting the Open Door is a welcome to everyone! c Judy Foster With Australia’s rejection of asylum seekers in mind…and for those who have tried everything, don’t know where to turn, the ‘open door’ suggests a new way… For many reasons these are special places for everyone else too. The Ranges are known to the local Indigenous people as representing Dreaming stories. The floor is usually sandy, and sometimes there is a water hole filled with water. These occur where streams have cut through the rocks during the sometimes very heavy rains, leaving spectacular chasms with red walls symbolic of ‘gates’ opening in welcome. I have been to Central Australia and to Alice Springs and the McDonnell Ranges several times, and have found the several openings between the hills very interesting. Almost every woman has ‘stones thrown’ at her at some time, for things she does or not do for what she is – or for what she is not… Women apparently should also be grateful that patriarchy does not ‘stone’ them for something which is very often NOT their fault AT ALL. It seems women should be grateful for male forgiveness for crimes in which men are complicit. ![]() Patriarchy (in the past as now) condemns adulterous women, but not adulterous men…Why? Patriarchy has imposed ‘good’ and ‘bad’ labels on women. I took liberties with the colours as I wanted to emphasise the form as ‘woman’.įirst Image: The two ‘stones’ beside the ‘figure’ represent the way women are ‘stoned’ by patriarchal expectations, made to feel guilty… Indeed the literal meaning points out the (male) practice of stoning women in some countries because they have stepped outside male expectations… Second Image: Beside a pile of ‘stones’ a woman makes her mark in the sand with the stones – turns punishing patriarchal expectations into the positive representation of the triple spiral of women. I came across this rock form in a photograph taken in Central Australia some years ago, and was impressed with the way it so strongly represented the form of a woman… what better symbol of the female deity symbolising the Earth Mother? ![]()
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