Life Force Wheel: The Tribe & The Sovereign

Life Force Wheel: The Tribe & The Sovereign is the fifth in a  series of shows called Life Force Wheel. This year-long, six-show series of art exhibits and multiarts presentations will explore the deep Archetypes of human existence. The Life Force Wheel is a spiritual teaching based on ancient, universal wisdom, received through inspiration by modern shamanic practitioner Joan Forest Mage. The Wheel is based in a deep awareness of our unity with all beings and seeks to foster healthy relationships between the individual, human society, nature, and the spirit realm. The six-show series began on December 8, 2013, with the Teacher Archetype and concludes in January 2015 with the True Self Archetype. All shows will be held at Life Force Arts Center, 1609 W. Belmont, Chicago. 

The Tribe is a community. The Skill associated with The Tribe is Partnership: moving with a common form and energy. A Tribe forms out of a creative process. The group of individuals that forms the Tribe has gone through some type of process in order to form the group/Tribe. In other words, they utilized the 3rd Skill, Process, which is the province of the Phoenix-Healer, as a step to arrive at having a common form and energy. The Tribe is made of different individuals who each contribute their respective talents to do the work of the group. Each individual in the Tribe is valued for his or her contribution and is respected as an indispensable part of the group. A Tribe values and integrates the talents of each of its members. The work of the Tribe is to sustain the Tribe, its identity, and the work it produces, rather than to work for a cause, which is the province of the Companion-Warrior. Each member of the Tribe is a Sovereign in the sense that he/she has the autonomy to make decisions about his/her own participation in the Tribe and its work.

The Sovereign serves the Tribe as its leader. The Sovereign creates peace and prosperity among the individuals of the Tribe, as well as between the Tribe and Nature and the Spirit Realm. Each person in the Tribe is a Sovereign. The Sovereign is the repository of the wisdom of why the Tribe is structured the way it is. For example, how it developed the identity it has, and why the structure (roles, work, etc.) of the Tribe are configured the way they are. The Sovereign is intimately aware of the needs of both the people and the land and feels the people and the land as extensions of his/her energy body. The Sovereign is given the wealth of the land and community to distribute to create the greatest prosperity for the people and the land. The Sovereign does not defend him/herself as the Warrior does. The Sovereign is defended by his/her Warriors. Therefore, the Sovereign never wears armor. 

The artwork in this exhibit features a wide variety of media including painting, photography, sculpture, fabric art, and installation. Life Force Arts Foundation Executive Director Joan Forest Mage says, “It’s fascinating to see the interpretations artists have about this theme. From depictions of mythological healers to healing mandalas, from personal healing journeys to the artwork that creates a portal into transformational experience, this show expands our understanding of these powerful Archetypes.”