I have made more than one hundred drums, and very rarely a
drum is for mystery more than for humans.
This drum began as an custom order for a First Nations woman who
occasionally was a guest performer with M’Girl. She preferred an antler handle to the
crossed-stick holder at the back and so the drum came home to me.
This spirit animal and eagle came to the drum’s face when I
first painted the hide. Although I have
never been in a place of uncertainty with who I am painting and how—this
creature would not take an ordinary reality form, but continued to shift
between a bear and a wolf.
After the drum was returned I decided to redo the image and
discovered I could not remove it from the deerskin—the earth pigment had become
a tattoo. This deer was old; its skin
crossed with scars and patterns of scratches.
The strange creature and its bird companion began to look like some of
the oracle cards I have painted for the Journey Oracle deck: shadowy figures
shifting in and out of recognition.
The drum went out again to a new person who respected it
deeply but found she could not live with it.
It started on the wall in the bedroom—which is a great place to store a
drum because of the quiet energy and lower temperature—but soon the drum was
down the stairs into the living room and then out by the door in the entry
way. Each time the woman could still
feel the drum’s energy moving, as if in a continual shape shifting. And so the drum came home to me.
The painting continues to alter its appearance as if in
continual patterns of light and shadow.
I continue to feel unsettled about the creatures, wanting to
re-establish the painting but not ever quite doing so. The drum’s voice is deep and rich, as old
deer skins often are, and yet I do not consider it one of the “good horses” in
my shamanic drumming herd. If you think
this might be your drum, it might be wise to reconsider.
If you want further conversation about this
drum, contact Kristen at journeyoracle@gmail.com
