Crazy January Challenge - Day 6

Today's challenge project start has been simple, colorful and a blessing - this is the beginning (actually nearly a third of the entire thing) of The Stitcherhood's Forest Friends.  There are going to be a couple of simple but really important alterations to this one (yes, if you think it's impossible for me to just ever stitch anything as designed, you are very close to right).

What drew me to this chart - and do go look at the original if you're not familiar with it - is the obvious-to-me Maiden-Mother-Crone goddess imagery.  The night sky, the lunar phases on the three women, and the hair colors... but maybe that's not what was intended.

It also reminds me a lot of the RWS 3 of Cups, and the title of the chart, "Forest Friends" points that way as well, as the 3 of Cups often signifies celebrations and friendships - especially those among women.

I like both intentions, and this piece will easily encompass each of them - but today, it was the goddess and that forged link beween Maiden and Mother and Crone that I most needed.  Last night had been difficult - teenaged daughter stuff that had me so worried for her and unable to do a think but sit by her until she was through her personal midnight.  Today was better, but still... with each stitch, I was shooting wishes for peace, and happiness and wisdom at her.

...  and realized that this first Lady I was stitching was the Crone... but if you look at the original chart, things aren't quite 'right' from that standpoint (please don't get me wrong - compositionally, it's lovely... but if I'd done it 'as is' this would have bothered me everytime I saw it).  First I needed the moons to be 'right' - waxing to full to waning, not the reverse.  Yes it's a circle -but if you're familiar with this symbol, you'll see why this would have been an issue for me.  And that meant that the Ladies needed to be paired to their correct phase of the moon - so that the light haired Maiden is linked to the Waxing Crescent, the red haired Mother is in the center at the Full Moon, and the grey haired Crone is with the Waning Crescent.

(Actually - I believe the intention was that the center Lady signify the DARK Moon, which would make sense to go Waning-Dark-Waxing, with the Crone to the middle.  But I promise you, I'd never have instinctively viewed it that way, so I'd have to consciously fight my urge to 'correct' and that's just all the wrong attitude to have to something you want to 'speak' to you symbolically.)

So today, that only took a quick flip of the moon, and a change of hair color.   The only other change is that the Maiden, rather than having the symmetrical purple robe pairing with the Crone, the Maiden will be wearing a pale seafoam gown.

I don't think this is necessarily any improvement on the artist's handiwork, which I love very much - it is simple what will make sense to me.  After the focused intent put into this today, this is clearly going to be an altar piece for me, and it needs to work in that context.