Talisman Stories

Healing Talisman Art Dolls from a Retreat in 2000

Pat wanted to learn to make dolls. She wanted the time to flow in her creative energy and create a doll that nurtures the artist within. She connected with an unusual root and created a doll called "Mariah-the- Wind". Even though Pat is an artist she hasn't felt comfortable owning the title. During the witnessing part of the retreat, she declared. "I am an artist!"

Judy is a body worker who is living with breast cancer. Her intent was to create a doll to symbolize herself embodied whole and healed. Her healing doll is called Nina de la Luz (Child of the Light) who was born to bring Judy the message that it is "time to shine your own light".

Cindy had been dealing with depression and fibromyalgia. Her intention was to create a doll that represented joy. She shared that she always tried to put a little glitter in everything she makes. Cindy fought with her creative self. The healing doll she created had four feeling faces and was wrapped in a "comfort-her". Her name is "Mini-me". From her process I learned that peace comes from knowing the difference between how to feel and how to express feelings.

Judy was a working artist and mother. She struggled with doing her art an making money with her art and being a good mother. I watched her struggle with trying to make a doll that appealed to the masses and making a doll that touched her soul. She named her healing doll "Eucharist" - of the coming together in communion with the artist and the mother and learning how to mother her creative self. Her doll has nests wrapped in her arms, with little dolls representing her children. 

Rhonda was resistant to the process and said she wasn't interested in making "dolls". She was dealing with the death of her 3-year-olddaughter a year ago. She was searching for peace with death. She made five dolls over the weekend. Her first healing doll was six foot tall and had hair made from strips of her daughter's clothing. She battled with this "hag", and eventually made a death doll with a white mask wrapped in netting. In her stick hand stretched high ababove her head is a branch type had that holds a pink candle. Somehow, I think she was able to come to peace with the death of her daughter and joyously welcome the second child that was soon to be born within her.