The Celtic Creatives

The Celtic Creatives

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The Celtic Creatives
The Celtic Creatives
Soul Handprint
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Soul Handprint

A creative ritual of hand, heart and soul

Jennifer Murphy's avatar
Jennifer Murphy
Jul 09, 2024
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The Celtic Creatives
The Celtic Creatives
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‘Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.’

Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

Creative Souls,

Today, you will create something that I hope will bring you an enormous reward. This ritual honours our creativity through the symbol of our hands. Our hands are extensions of our hearts, and our hearts are the compass of our souls. Like our souls, our handprints are utterly unique. Engaging in creativity helps us truly know ourselves and understand the unique imprint we are here to leave on the world.

Red stenciled handprints on an ancient cave wall in Argentia
Photo from Cueva de las Manos, the Cave of Hands in Argentina, featuring stunning rock art, including these remarkable hand stencils. This ancient cave art dates back to between 13,000 and 9,500 years

In mythology, fairytales and folklore, we often see hands used to illustrate the soul’s journey. In Irish mythology, Nuada Airgeadlámh (Nuada of the Silver Hand), king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, loses his hand in battle and is fashioned a silver hand by the god of healing, Dian Cécht. Then, through the healing incantation of Dian Cécht’s son, Míach, a new fleshy hand regrows from the roots of the severed arm, enabling Nuada to regenerate his kingship as an evermore discerning king. In the tale of the Handless Maiden, the maiden’s hands are chopped off because of her foolish father’s bargain with the devil. She too receives silver hands but ultimately must grow her flesh, blood, and bone hands back, ones that truly belong to her, separate from her father’s house.

Our creativity, like these hands, can be severed by societal pressures. We may adopt artificial parts temporarily, but ultimately, we must grow new hands in harmony with our soul's gift, our Dán. Sometimes our relationship with our hands is tender as they don’t always work in the way that is prescribed to us. In the literal sense, one of my little sons has dyspraxia, and we’ve been told he may never write by hand, at least not in the same way as his peers. But I know that he will grow his hands in a way that enables him to live into his soul.

Today, in this ritual, invite your hands to become a symbol of your soul.

‘Hands are lightning rods for psychic energy.’

The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images

What you will need

Three ingredients:

  • A candle

  • Your journal or a sheet of paper

  • Anything for mark-making, e.g., pen, pencil, colours, etc.

Step 1: Creative Memories

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