MEANING: The upward point of the star is representative of the spirit. The other four points all represent an element; earth, air, fire, and water. All these things contribute to life and are a part of each of us.
The implication of a 5 pointed star with one point down, is of spirit subservient to matter, of man subservient to his carnal desires. While some see this as representing the dark side and consider it an evil symbol, in Gardnerian Wicca (which is usually considered to be the earliest tradition of Wicca still in existence and from which most subsequent Wiccan traditions are derived) the inverted pentacle is the symbol of Gardnerian second degree initiation, representing the need of the witch to learn to face the darkness within, so that it may not later rise up to take control.
The circle symbolizes eternity and infinity, the cycles of life and nature; it contains and protects. The circle touching all points indicates that the spirit, earth, air, water and fire are all connected and becomes a symbol of the holistic relationship between Human Spirituality and the Physical Universe.
So, by combining the two pentacles, we have the lessons of the physical over the spiritual and the self-awareness facing our attachments to the ‘illusions of manifestation’; balanced with the striving of Humanity (earthly elements) to reach for Spirit (the Divine).
Aside from the symbolic meaning... Coop’s carving of this piece is truly masterful! He is taking a board that is less then one inch deep and carving 3 separate levels...without breaking the piece...most of the time...
THE CARVING:
Our carvings are single pieces of western red cedar, designed and carved to be wall hangings. Each carving begins as a 1 X 12 inch cedar board. While we use power tools (Scroll Saw, Rotary shaft Tool, handheld detail sanders etc.), we use no laser’s, CNC machines or computer operated cutting machines. All work is done with our hands and eyes…
We cut the 2 dimensional blanks with scroll and jig saws (double-sized custom orders have to be cut with jigsaw). Carving is done with rotary shaft tools and disc grinders. The 80 grit sanding is the final phase of the carving process, removing the nicks and gouges from the carving tools, and finishes the shaping of the weave. The next 2 sandings with 120 then 220 grit finishes the smoothing and polishing. They are finished with Clear Danish Oil to seal the piece, bringing out the grain and the color.
SIZE: One picture has the piece on a quilting board, lined up on the 1 inch marks. The quilting board, at its simplest, is a one inch grid. So with the piece on the board, you look at the top and follow the line to the left and look at the right side at the widest point and follow the line to the bottom and you have height by width...but wait! It's not that easy! The way this board I have is laid out, if I lined it up on the zero points it would cover up the numbers and on some pieces you wouldn't be able to see them...so, I line it up on the 1 inch marks which means when you get the numbers, you have to subtract 1 inch... TA DA! Measurements may vary slightly from piece to piece.
