Some authorities believe that ritual invocation of animal spirits may have been a legacy of Homo neanderthalensis. Shamans stood at the center of this tradition; their ability to traverse unseen realms could mean the difference between a hunt’s success and its failure, between life and death.

Around 1980 Susan Seddon Boulet—inspired by mythology, poetry, spiritual traditions, and a love of animals and nature—explored new directions in her work. From then on, she painted goddesses and Native American shamanic images that married animal and human forms.

This calendar’s twelve paintings are accompanied by excerpts from Native American songs, poems, and prayers. A central feature of many ancient traditions was the shaman—part priest, part magician, part savant—whose ability to traverse unseen realms often meant the difference between life and death. Susan Seddon Boulet took a strong interest in shamanism, studying with noted cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien. Her finely detailed portraits within portraits, merging human and animal forms, evoke the multidimensional world of the shaman. This calendar’s twelve paintings are accompanied by excerpts from Native American songs, chants, and narratives.

 Size: 12 x 13 in. Wall Calendar.