— Meet Linda Pappa —
Artist | Designer | Writer
Channelling visions from Nature and co-creating with the Earth Mother
Learn more about Linda here
1. Tell us about your life in three words…
2. How would you describe the way you show up in the world? What is your
personal philosophy for living?
I value the idea of being driven not by our minds, but by our hearts - and I cherish the lifestyle that comes with that. It demands far less control, it feels light, yet so rich. It feels True to our calling.
I have found that when I get to focus less on the outcomes and expectations of my mind and ego, I can observe the meaning and beauty in all my processes as they are. And have a lot more fun while at it. I keep reminding myself that I don’t need to force (or resist) my path. I am already on it.
When something doesn’t feel right, it’s a sign that we need to make room for something else. The universe has its own sense of humour with that, and will keep showing us until we understand that lesson. If we listen carefully we will notice how this greatness is always trying to guide us. It’s magical to witness when something is happening and taking form, almost without our intervention at all. When we just become that hollow vessel through which it does.
That is what I’m here to experience and share with others.
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3. What small comforts or routines have you relied on during this strange time to keep you inspired and grounded?
Simplifying my life and not over-planning. Claiming time for self care, study and contemplation.
I have loved spending more time in nature, noticing things and journaling my observations. Nature truly is a school of life, where the Elements, the plants, the land are my teachers. I’m lucky to live on an island with an energetically powerful landscape. Even my little garden has taught me so much.
4. What things are you amplifying in your life right now? and what things are you paring back on?
I am paring back on the things I “think” I need to do and making time for things that truly resonate from deep, deep within.I am grateful about having a vivid sense of creativity, but sometimes my mind gets flooded with ideas and I get overwhelmed because I think that I need to do it all (some people would say that is typical Pisces behaviour, haha!).
I keep having to remind myself that I do not need to say yes to everything, and make a conscious effort to notice which input comes from the mind and which comes from the heart. I practice discernment as to which endeavours I am capable of pursuing with full intention - while maintaining a balance that feeds me positively in my life and where I can stay present throughout the whole spectrum of my experience.
I am on a journey of listening, adjusting and continuously defining what that space looks like for me.
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5. In the last month what have you learned about life/yourself?
I have recently re-taken a Myers Briggs test - and found out that my personality type is the advocate.
I did feel this a lot through all of 2020. This year was all about filling my vessel so I could share my findings with others in the attempt to help others fill their vessels too. That was one of the main drives behind the creation of my book, Ousìa, which is a guide to connecting with the Elements. Even an artist, I always look for meaning in what I create because it is important for me to share the deeper aspect of the messages I bring out visually.
It is my hope to inspire others to dive deeper and align to the divine energy that unites us all. I feel continuously called to contribute in a movement of deep self-exploration and collective awareness that will bring us back to the source, reviving ancestral knowledge and the ways of the Earth, honouring interconnectedness and co-creation.
6. In what ways have you incorporated ritual and ceremony into your everyday life? How do these gestures impact your state of mind?
Ritual is so important to me, as it can bring a sense of sacredness to any day, or just serve to remind us of our fleeting human experience. My rituals have taught me how important it is to bring intention in all that I do. They allow me to feel present.
Sometimes it can be a quick movement like opening the windows and feeling the air come into my space. Sometimes it can be a longer practice like body oiling or drumming, which helps me to shift my consciousness from mind to body. Often times it also has to do with communing with Nature and the Elements. An intention that I carry as I forage a wild herb for tea, then sit and be present with the guidance of that plant. Or as I collect earth from the mountain and feel her grounding presence, her smell and her texture as I crumble, sieve, mix and process into paint.I have shared a lot of my favourite Element-focused rituals in my book, Ousìa. These are my favourite pages in there and it brings me joy to know that more and more people are inviting these practices in their lives.
Every once in a while I like to perform a ceremony, or a series of rituals to honour a transition in my life or the phases of the moon. It can be simpler or more complex, solo or with a small group of friends, where everyone is invited to contribute and co-create. My partner for example, is amazing at composing dreamlike sound journeys, and I love it when somebody brings a tarot deck.
7. What does womanhood mean to you?
Tuning into our wild and intuitive self, rooted in the womb which is both an endless source of creation and the keeper of our deepest wounds and secrets. Balancing the dance of the masculine and the feminine energies within, as we couldn't possibly exist without both of them together. Knowing when to soften, receive and be tender. Knowing when to take action, take responsibility and speak our truth. Finding divinity within our cyclical rhythms, which echo those of the moon and of nature herself. Noticing the wisdom that comes with that, and how amazing it is to live such shifts as we get to leave a part of ourselves behind and create a new one every month. A woman above all a creator.
8. Tell us about your book Ousia, just a brief intro to your inspirations and motivations for creating it…
In these last couple of years I have found myself called to connect with the Elements of Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Ether. The more I spent time just noticing their presence in nature, the more they got familiar as distinctive energies that were also present inside of me. It was truly a journey of connecting to something divine forces that reside within and without.
The Elements inspired my art. Slowly and steadily, they became an important part of rituals and practices that I would create around them. In the meantime, I felt inclined to begin a journey of studying and learning about how they have inspired the rest of humanity. The topic felt very compelling and so easy to implement and to understand regardless of religion, spiritual orientation or walks of life. I felt like: “Wow! This wisdom and medicine is for everyone”
Little by little, over a long and devoted process, my relationship with the Elements took form as a little book. Its name is Ousìa, which means “essence” in ancient greek. Ousìa is a book that is partly a guide, and partly an artistic, spiritual exploration. It contains art, insights and rituals to connect to each Element and gain a deeper understanding of their presence in our lives. My intention with this book is to inspire others to explore their relationship with the Elements, to tune into them and feel how they are an integral part of who we are.
