Pysanky

IMG_0308One of my favorite Spring-time rituals is making Pysanky Easter eggs.  When the days begin to lengthen and the nights hang on to the last bites of frost, I pull out my dyes, waxes, and kitska tools.  During most of the year, my creative energy is devoted to writing.  But this one time each year, I indulge in the the calming effect of the scent of melting beeswax and a steady hand.  I keep my designs simple with folk symbols and colors representing luck, the cycle of life, abundance, and strength.  I usually make just one or two eggs each Spring.  Although I take pride in my creations, I’ve found that making Pysanky is more about the process than the outcome – as I sketch the ancient patterns of waves, spirals, triangles, flowers, suns, and spiders on an egg in wax, I slow down, reflect, and recharge.  In that space, I connect to a forgotten world explained through nature and bound to the rhythms of light and dark.

4 thoughts on “Pysanky

  1. Francesca Capozzi-Alvin

    What a beautiful custom that you can pass on to your children. I wish I had a steady hand.

    Reply

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