Today on Stitchery Stories we have a very unique story from Erika Maizi. In her story, sacred embroidery has been the catalyst for a personal journey of discovery, of re-connecting with family and deep spiritual meanings.
We are usually chatting about embroidery as an art form, or decoration of functional items. For Erika however, the interest in embroidery has grown from meditation, spiritualism, and the symbolism within the embroidery and connections with her Kazak and Siberian families.
Sacred embroidery as we discuss today, is not embroidery used in churches. It is the deeply personal symbols that emerge through a meditative state, whilst exploring one’s own past and destiny. We talk of fascinating elements of Norse and Russian mythology, and cultural traditions, and therefore embroidery, from Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.
This is a fascinating story of healing and reconnecting with ancestors and family, and the women’s wisdom and stories within embroidery.
There are many terms, places and people that will be very unfamiliar so I have also listed them below to help you make further discoveries.
Susan Weeks chats with Erika Maizi about:
- Re-connecting with family in Kazakhstan
- Her journey on the Trans-Siberia Railway
- Discovering the symbolism and personal stories within sacred embroidery
- Creating her first ‘Rushnyk’ – her destiny towel
- The story of creating her embroidered symbolic destiny dress
- Her vision of preserving cultural embroidery from Kazakhstan & Mongolia
- Connecting with powerful goddess energy
- The symbolism within goldwork and the power of golden threads
Some words and places and mythology that were mentioned:
- Kazakhstan
- Altai Mountains
- Rugen island off Germany
- ‘Rushnyk’ a Russian destiny towel
- Anastasia villages
- The Wyrding Way -the mysterious art of weaving your own destiny
- The 3 NORNS in Norse mythology are female beings who rule the destiny of gods and men
- Siberian Shaman Ahamkara
- Sacred Mount Belukha
- The horns on the Kazak flag are symbols of the Argali wild horned mountain sheep of Kazakhstan and Mongolia
- Beregini are the birth goddesses
- the sacred colours of red, black and white, the feminine trinity
- ‘Aluna’ the movie documentary about the KOGI people of Columbia
For this episode…
Visit: https://erikaamaizing.me/
Like: https://www.facebook.com/groups/232724404592026
Look: https://www.instagram.com/weavingdestiny
Tweet: https://www.twitter.com/erikamaizi11
Watch https://www.youtube.com
Read: https://erikaamaizing.me/my-book-thewyrdingway
Aluna The Movie
Other Episodes You Might Enjoy:
Louise Gardiner (and her Cape Of Empowerment)
https://stitcherystories.com/louisegardiner/
Diane Gaffney Textile Traders
https://stitcherystories.com/dianegaffney/
Yvonne Fuchs Relax With Slow Stitch
https://stitcherystories.com/yvonnefuchs/
